Lionhearted
by hazeyhale
Summary: The Cullen family take in a traumatized Bella who has suffered for several years at the hands of vampires and humans alike. Will they be able to teach her how to truly live and love again without fear? Will Bella realize that she is the true definition of being Lionhearted?
1. The Cullen’s

**Authors Note:**

 **Hello everyone! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the lovely PM's and reviews on Lionhearted! I am so happy and incredibly motivated thanks to all of the support!**

 **I have finally finished editing most of the chapters and I will submit everything within this week! I will be traveling overseas tomorrow so I need to pack still but I can't stop writing haha! Once I get home I will update everything hopefully!**

 **Just to make everything clear so that there is no confusion, I edited the chapters and some are combined now because I felt they fit well together so please make sure to read them if you want :) thanks for being so patient with me!**

* * *

~Chapter One~

The Cullen's

The Cullen's have lived in the rainy city of Forks for over two years now. They managed to go about everything like they usually did in the past; with no complications or suspicion for their unnatural appearances and lack of involvement with the humans. They finally found a place to call home and one that they could return to every few years.

The men were hunting for the week while the women were at home relaxing. Rosalie was in the garage changing the oil on her red Mercedes convertible while Alice was lounging on the sofa in the living room; flipping through some fashion magazines and Esme was in her studio looking over some upcoming projects. They were content with the life they had established although Alice and Emmett often grew bored of the lack of excitement. Edward, even though he would never admit it to himself or anyone, was also feeling that his immortal life was missing something.

Just as Alice finished reading an article, she's hit with a disturbing vision that causes her to gasp; alerting the two vampires in the house. Alice sees a vision of a young fragile girl on the ground being humiliated by two nomads while other men and women around them were callously laughing and exchanging money between one another. The next vision she sees the girl is badly injured, running through a park just outside of a club and covering her ears as she hears desperate screams in the distance. Before she could see if the girl lived or died; the vision started to fade away and brought her back to her senses. Alice's eyes start to focus again on Esme and Rosalie who both looked worried while they waited for Alice to return to them.

"What's wrong Alice? What did you see?" Esme's voice riddled with concern. Alice looks up at her and can't deny the hope as well as the worry in her beautiful golden eyes.

 _It wasn't time to tell them yet_ , she thought. So instead she gives Esme her usually bright smile and says, "A new family member hopefully."

Then she turns her attention to another magazine that was left unread on the coffee table. Her short answer only made the women exchange confused glances at each other in confusion but they decided to wait until the whole family would be back to discuss Alice's vision if it was a delicate matter.

When the boys returned the next day from hunting, they barely walked through the front door of the house when they heard Alice's bell like voice call them into the living room.

"Family meeting in the dinning room, now!"

Carlisle quirked his brows - intrigued by what his daughter had to say that she would demand everyone to gather so suddenly. Edward tried to read his sister's mind only to be blocked by her singing of an annoyingly repetitive song from one of those pop stars that was pure torture if it were to get stuck in his head. He grimaced as he ceased using his gift for now. He sighed and rolled his eyes; knowing perfectly well that this wasn't going to be good if she was going to such lengths to shut him out.

"What's the matter, Alice?" Carlisle asks as he goes to hug his loving wife who was already sitting down at the table, waiting for him.

"Did you see something, darlin'?" Jasper didn't hesitate to head into the dinning room to see Alice; feeling mixed emotions coming from her in inconsistent waves.

"Alright we're all here now. Talk before I get even more annoyed with your mood swings." Rosalie commands as she sits next to Emmett in their usual spots at the dinning table. Her patience, running short after the pixie kept her and Esme in the dark for the whole day after her vision.

"The vision I had last night, hasn't been the first one I've had about this particular person and now that it's getting to be that day, it's time I told you about her," Alice declares as she slightly jumps up and down in her seat. Jasper couldn't help but chuckle at his wife's surprising burst of jollity. "Although my visions have been changing a lot because of the danger she's been in. I wasn't sure if she'd make it long enough for us to meet her."

"What are you talking about, Alice?" Esme asks confused by what the pixie meant.

Alice looks at everyone and then directly at Edward only to block him from her thoughts, causing another exasperated sigh to come out of him and he runs his hand through his wild bronze hair in frustration.

"Now listen to me before you all freak out. Let me finish what I️ have to say because it'll make sense soon."

"Just tell us Alice." Carlisle encouraged.

"There's a girl - a human girl who is in need of us just as much as we need her. I've seen it many times and she's in this family's future; in our future. Without her our family would suffer greatly."

 _'Another daughter?'_ Edward turned his head in the direction where he could hear his mother thinking; already happy with the news as she takes hold of Carlisle's hand to receive a comforting squeeze from him.

 _'She's human? How are we supposed to help a human girl? What of her family?'_ Carlisle wondered. Clearly intrigued but worried about what sort of problems this could bring the family if the Volturi were to get involved.

The others thoughts were mixed with excitement from Emmett's part, wariness from Jasper, and anger obviously from none of their than Rosalie. Edward couldn't quite put a label on what he was feeling, they were like waves, as soon as one emotion washed over him another comes crashing in. Either way it made him uneasy to know that a human would be involved with vampires willingly.

"Excuse me? You seriously think we will take a human girl in? Are you crazy?" Rosalie protests - not surprising to anyone at the table as they simply looked up at the blonde beauty when she stood up from her seat.

"Rosalie, please let us first at least hear Alice's reasons before we pass judgement." Carlisle pleads. Emmett placed his hand on his hot tempered wife's hand to persuade her to calm down. Eventually she gave him a glare before scoffing and sitting back down in her seat to unwillingly listen to the rest of Alice's proposition.

"Alice, go on. Tell us what you know." Carlisle encourages after he seems to come to an understanding with Esme just through looking into her amber eyes.

Alice nods and explains to her family about the young girl named Bella and that she has been held captive by a group of nomads. She expresses her concerns on how her future keeps changing; in some of her visions she can see the girl laughing happily with the Cullen's like a family and the next she's gone as if they never knew her. Alice knew that if they were to find Bella alive then they would need to move quickly.

"Okay so I️ will need everyone's cooperation if we want to see Bella safe and sound with us. What do you think?" She asked Carlisle seeing as he was the head of the family and also knowing that if he said he agrees then the family would have to follow behind as well. After some contemplation Carlisle breaks the silence.

"If you say she needs our help and that somehow she will change our family for the greater good...then I️ agree."

Of course Alice knew her adoptive father would say yes - after all no one in the family ever says no to her and apart from the fact that she saw him agreeing with her idea yesterday only proved her point even more. The first one to agree with Carlisle and Alice, was Esme. She couldn't suppress her protective motherly instincts, even if Bella was a human she would still help her no matter what and everyone at the table knew that. Emmett was so excited to have another little sister in the house that he can play pranks on and cause mischief with that he found himself agreeing right away.

"If a rescue mission is what it takes to have Bella here with us as soon as possible then count me in!" He says as he cracks his knuckles with his other hand with determination.

"I'm not sure how this will pan out but if this will help the family and keep you happy darlin' then I will support you too." Added Jasper as he lovingly kisses his wife on the cheek but he couldn't deny the worry that persisted in the back of his mind.

"You're all making a mistake." Rosalie states after she cursed under her breath, seeing that there was no way out of having a human living with them now that everyone was on board with Alice.

"We're not. You'll see that soon enough, Rose." Alice cheerfully disagrees with her sister's negative comment before standing up from the table. " _And_ I️ don't want to hear any protests from any of you." The pixie demands as she narrows her eyes at Rosalie and Edward especially, to which Edward shrugs his shoulders, before dancing out of the dining room with Jasper right behind her with a slight smirk playing on his face.

* * *

The following days had been filled with many emotions from each member of the Cullen household running high. However mostly all of them were positive, noted Jasper; he couldn't help being overwhelmed by the emotions himself and yet he was hopeful in meeting Bella thanks to the amount of love, happiness and excitement being emitted from Alice and Esme.

"Alice do you think you could contain you excitement a little? I️ feel like any second I️'ll be jumping up and down and giggling like a school girl." The empath admitted while hugging his wife from behind and tried to contain his own grin. Alice giggled at the image of her husband displaying such a scene but she tried to control herself as much as she could whenever she was with him. She knew how overwhelming her emotions could be for him at times.

Emmett kept getting impatient waiting in anticipation for Bella to come home. Rosalie seemed indifferent towards this new adjustment the family would have to make for a little human girl and she'd often scoff whenever someone mentioned Bella; sparking an occasional argument with Alice because of it. Esme was obviously already making preparations for the young girl who would arrive any day to their home. She modeled the room on the third floor that hadn't been used by anyone since they moved to Forks. She and Alice bought a beautiful upholstered canopy bed and thanks to Alice's gift they decided on an all white bedspread and a royal blue quilt to settle on top. It was as if Esme were going to be a mother for the first time all over again and she couldn't be more delighted. Carlisle and Edward would go to his study to speak privately about their concerns in bringing a new family member though they tried to keep an open mind. Edward was one of the strongest in the family when it came to being around humans, along with Carlisle but something made him uneasy about the arrival of Bella - he just couldn't explain it so he made sure to keep that detail to himself for now.

On the night there was a terrible storm approaching Forks, Alice had a vision once again and immediately afterwards, she called everyone out of their rooms.

"Carlisle we'll take your car. Emmett, Jasper, you and I️ will go to Seattle together." Alice said as she skipped to the garage with the boys following behind her.

"Rosalie and Esme; you girls make sure to get everything on that list. Be home within an hour."

As Carlisle and the boys began to get into the Mercedes, Alice turned around to make sure to relay her instructions to Edward through her thoughts so that she wouldn't have to explain it to the other's and cause a fuss. She didn't want to share her concerns about her brother with anyone except for him at the time.

 _Edward go to Carlisle's study, I left a list on his desk with all the medical supplies that he will need for when we return. Then make sure to stay far away from the house when we come back, I'd suggest you go for a hunt too. Trust me..._

She told him to trust her seeing how he was ready to contradict the pixie when he was already heading down to the garage with them. He saw how serious Alice was and how she left no room to argue. Edward nods reluctantly before disappearing into the house to do as he was told.

"Jazz, make sure you hold your breath before we get out of the car. As long as you do that you won't hurt her. I️ promise." Alice moves to sit in the back with her husband as she rests her head on his shoulder and let Jasper feel her calm collected emotions. Carlisle drove through the thunderstorm at lightning speed and never took his eyes off the road, ignoring his own anxiety as he prepared himself for what he would see. Within an hour and a half they had just arrived in Seattle and now Alice was giving Carlisle directions to find Bella.

"Turn right here and pass the club called Trinity that's going to be on the left - don't stop or look in that direction no matter what you hear." Alice said when she turned her attention to Jasper who had grown stiff in his seat as a wave of agony and fear washed over him. She knew Jasper could feel what was taking place deep inside the club so Alice hugged him tight and replaced those torturous feelings with her love and understanding.

Carlisle and the others made the effort to ignore the screams that were being heard from the club as they passed the street; the screams were sure to only be heard by vampires due to their perfect hearing abilities and the blaring music coming from inside made it difficult to differentiate between cries for help or cheering if unsuspecting humans were to pass by it. He turned left around the corner after passing Trinity and could see a park two streets down. That's when Alice told him to park the car close by. He parked the car and turned off the ignition quickly. They got out of the car and let Alice leads the way to where she said they would find Bella. The park was luckily in a bad neighborhood surrounded by many trees, broken street lamps, and no humans would be out this time of night just as she'd predicted. As they got closer; Alice and Carlisle could both smell the strong scent of blood leading further into the ominous park.

"She must be very injured if the smell of blood is this strong." Carlisle commented at the strong scent of Bella's blood, he seriously hoped that he could help tend to her injuries without any predicaments.

"Over there!" Alice pointed toward a group of trees that were shrouded in darkness.

"Jasper I need you to send a wave of calm throughout the whole park, please. Emmett stay close to Jazz and keep your eyes open." Jasper and Emmett did as they were told; uncertain how they would even get past the blood thirsty nomads that were sure to be lurking around especially with an injured human girl.

Carlisle runs to the trees at an incredible speed before Alice could finish her statement. He walks between two large oak trees to see a barely conscious girl curled into herself while leaning against a tree for support. Her thin body was covered by one oversized worn out T-shirt and her brown hair although dirty was so long it ran down to her waist. Her face was as pale as his and she was covered in blood - her blood.

She opens her eyes and when Bella sees the strange man right away she couldn't help shrinking down to the ground and that terrified look on her face was hard for him to ignore.

"Bella? It's okay, my name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen and I'm here to help you. Don't be scared, I️ won't hurt you I promise." He wanted to reassure her that as long as he were by her side she would be safe.

Bella didn't scream or try to run away, much to Carlisle's relief but he quickly understood why. The girl's injuries were in fact so horrible that he couldn't help wince at the sight. Her injuries - or at least the ones that were visible to him were what appeared to be a fractured right hand that she held to her chest, a medium sized knife sticking out from her left leg, and a prominent bruise forming on the right side of her forehead. Carlisle was appalled at the state in which he found his future daughter in. How could someone do this to such a small innocent looking girl? He couldn't understand and never would. Carlisle was enraged at witnessing such a scene. Thankfully he managed to push his anger back down when he felt a wave of calm wash over him. He looked over his shoulder to see Jasper with his back turned to him, and thanked him quietly. It must be unbearable for him to see blood let alone feel the pain Bella must be feeling, Carlisle thought.

"Bella, I'm going to treat your wounds as best I️ can but I️ will need to take you to my home and take the knife out there. I'm going to pick you up alright?"

The girl nodded and closed her eyes tightly, she knew there was no use resisting, she knew what this man was and what he was capable of doing to her if she tried resisting him. And the fact that she had lost so much blood has made her docile. When Carlisle picked the fragile girl up, being careful not to hurt her anymore than she already was; he noticed how thin she was and he was determine to rectify that as soon as possible. Alice, Emmett, and Jasper led the way all while keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any who might have been attracted to the blood of the human girl. As they were about to turn the corner Alice tells them to stop abruptly. Before they could make it across the street to Carlisle's Mercedes they were cut off by Jane and Felix following behind her as they walked out of the darkness provided by the steep alleyway that led to Trinity. Their black cloaks were illuminated by the natural light of the full moon in the night sky as they came to a stop in front of Carlisle.

Jane hadn't expected to find the one coven she detested the most to be here in Seattle while they eradicated the nomads and their accomplices; none the less she found it amusing to see that they had a human with them.

"It appears we've missed one, Felix. How did she get this far out?" Jane asked with an amused voice and a sly grin on her full lips. She loved inflicting pain more than anything and the fact that she could inflict it on the one family she despised, excited her.

"I️ would presume that she had escaped long before we arrived." Felix answered as he eyed the unconscious girl who was in Carlisle's arms.

"We'll take it from here, although I'm sure Aro would be very intrigued to know that the Cullen clan is here - and with a human to top it all off." Said Jane while keeping her crimson red eyes on Bella's frail body as she furrowed her eyebrows from the pain she was experiencing. Carlisle chose to ignore Jane's remark regarding Bella but it didn't dissuade him from wanting to put her in her place for being so ignorant.

"The girl is to be in our family." He said quickly not wanting to waste anymore time listening to Jane's dark sadistic voice with Bella's life on the line. Jane was about to question Carlisle when she was interrupted by Aro who had appeared from out of the same alleyway, his deep red eyes shining when they landed on Carlisle and his children.

"Ah, Carlisle! What a lovely surprise to see you here...and with a snack of your own I presume?" Aro turned his attention to the girl who had now fluttered her eyes open and met his amused gaze. Her heart began beating quickly even though she didn't cower away; both shocking and intriguing the vampires around her.

"Aro this girl needs our help and I️ know for a fact that she is to become a part of our family." Alice said as she stepped in front of Bella to shield her away protectively from the vampire's sadistic grin.

"I️ hope you can elaborate a little more my darling Alice." Aro held his hand out waiting for Alice to take it while never dropping that eerie smile of his. Alice takes her black leather glove off of her right hand and takes Aro's hand; allowing him to see all of her visions concerning Bella.

Not a minute passes before Aro burst out laughing frantically as he dropped Alice's hand as quickly as he had taken it. Jasper and Emmett kept quiet not wanting to provoke any of the Volturi while feeling uncomfortable with the way Aro began his spontaneous clapping.

"Another child! How wonderful! I️ suppose a congratulations is in order for the parents to be!"

Jane had a look of annoyance on her face as she watches the way Aro praised his favorite family of vampires. Glaring at Alice who was returning a smug smirk for the cruel girl to writhe in for a change.

"You are free to go of course - after I️ see into your new daughters mind. You wouldn't mind now would you?"

"Alright," agrees Carlisle as he tried to suppress his worry that may be trying to resurface. When it came to Aro, he was unpredictable and the most dangerous vampire he's ever known. He needed to be careful especially with Bella in his arms; he looked down at the girl as saw that she fell unconscious again and rested her head against Carlisle's chest as Aro took her left hand. The telepathic vampire furrowed his brows, a look of pure confusion seconds after trying to see into the young girl's mind.

"Interesting, very interesting. It appears that you have the pleasure of having yet another gifted child in your midst," Aro says with a less enthusiastic voice this time. "Feel free to give my congratulations to your lovely wife. You're free to go, we wouldn't want your new daughter to die before she can be changed into one of us now." Giving one of his most disturbing laughs before turning around and heading back towards the alley where the frantic screams could be heard in the distance with Jane and Felix close behind him.

"Thank you Aro." Carlisle thanked before leaving in vampire speed not wanting to waste anymore time.

He placed Bella in the backseat as he climbed in the back with her and told Emmett to drive as fast as he could. Sincerely hoping that Bella can make it back home in time.

* * *

"We're almost there, Carlisle." Said Alice as she looks over her shoulder to see her father who had wrapped his once clean grey sweater around Bella's leg to stop the bleeding as best he could.

"Edward has already prepared everything and even got some bags of blood from the hospital." Alice knew perfectly well what and how everything would take place tonight and for that Carlisle was immensely grateful although slightly ticked that she failed to mention that the Volturi would be there.

Jasper had decided to run back to Forks; even with holding his breath he didn't want to let temptation take over. Emmett seemed to be uncomfortable but let his worry for his little sister distract him from his natural instincts. They pulled into the garage and moved quickly. Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie left the house as fast as they could before the smell of blood became too much for them. Alice went to clear the table in the dining room for her father to place Bella down on.

"Here's the morphine." Esme gasped at the sight of Bella's beaten body. After taking a moment to compose herself she walked towards her husband with a tray full of all the medical supplies her husband would need. "Oh my god what have they done to her?"

Without hesitation Carlisle injected her with a dose of morphine but knew he didn't have time to let it sink in if he wanted to save her leg. Seeing that Bella had once again regained consciousness he needed to explain what he needed to do to help her.

"Bella, I'm going to take the knife out now ok? This is going to hurt a lot but just try to bear with it." Carlisle said when Esme tried to provide some comfort for the girl by holding the hand that wasn't broken and gently running her hand through her hair.

Even in the state she was in and barely lucid, the girl managed to surprise the two vampires when she nodded before answering, "I️-I️ can t-take the pain."

"I'm so sorry Bella." He apologized before placing his hand on the knife that had been lodged in her human flesh.

The rest of the family were far from the house, deep into the forest that surrounded their secluded home. But no matter how far they were they could still hear Carlisle's strong voice apologizing before the gut wrenching screaming started. Alice took Jasper's hand and led him farther away with Emmett and a serious Rosalie following suit. The only one who stayed a little longer was the bronze haired boy who just leaned against a tree with a grave expression on his face as he continued to hear the human girl scream; all while battling the monster that so desperately wanted to make an appearance.

* * *

Bella tried to keep her screams out of fear of angering the vampire but the pain was too much. She couldn't help but let out a heartbreaking sob from her little beaten body before letting herself drift off. Carlisle noticed Esme shut her eyes tight and looked away. Never letting go of Bella's hand and let her squeeze as hard as she could to cope with the agonizing pain. The physical pain was unimaginable to them now after so many years of being immortal but they couldn't help feeling their cold dead hearts crush at the sight. Almost immediately after Carlisle pulled the knife out, he disinfected, stitched her leg as fast as he could and dressed the wound on her leg. After assessing any more damage that might have been done to the girl he carried her up to the room that was now hers.

"She'll be alright, love. The morphine will take away any pain she will feel until tomorrow." He reassures his wife who looked positively grief stricken as she stood by the entrance of the bedroom looking at the way her husband gently covered the girl with the quilt. Before going to his wife's side and embracing her, he couldn't help but gently stroke Bella's hair away from her forehead. He closed the door slowly and then went to clean his once spotless dining room table with bleach to make sure the rest of his family wouldn't be affected by the smell of blood.

Carlisle couldn't stop hoping that tomorrow would be the start of a better life for not only his daughter but for his family as well.


	2. Isabella Marie Swan

_"Where there is love, there is life." - Gandhi_

~Chapter Two~

Isabella Marie Swan

 _Bella runs out of the back entrance of the club called Trinity; it's neon red sign highlighting the way towards the alley. She ever dares to look behind her as she stumbled up the concrete steps. She knew there was no point in running; that they would catch her eventually but she couldn't stand the pain from the punishment inflicted on her this time._ _Never stopping or looking back to see if James was close - Bella couldn't believe she's made it this far from that nightmarish place. Were it not for the knife lodged in her left leg she would have gone farther but as the adrenaline faded away, the pain became unbearable. She sees a dark path that leads to many trees, a park she thought to herself. If she were to be completely honest, the girl just wished of this to be over. Bella was tired; she'd lost everything and suffered so much just to survive yet another hellish day._

 _Finding a tree just off of the path, Bella decides to use it for support before moving on with her escape. However, as the adrenaline began leaving her beaten body, the slower she got, and the more pain she felt. Feeling her knees buckle as she makes it to the tree, she can't help but slide down the rough trunk of the tree and onto the cold ground._

 _'Just rest a little.' She thinks to herself but knows it'll be over soon._ _Bella wasn't sad that she was going to die; she didn't feel pain anymore. She welcomed the darkness that shrouded her mind and body - she would finally be with the ones she missed the most in her ruined world - her mother and father. Suddenly a warm light shines brightly from between the trees ahead of her. Bella covers her face with the hand that wasn't broken to shield herself from whatever was approaching._

 _'Bella...' the voice that spoke was familiar. She slowly lifted her head to look at the blinding light before her. Bella can barely make out what is releasing such a strong light but the voice was enough for her to distinguish who was speaking to her._

 _'M-mom? Is that you?' She couldn't believe that after so many years she finally hears her mother's voice! That must mean she's finally passed on. Bella wasn't sad that she'd died - it didn't matter anymore now that she was home where she belonged._

'Mom!' Somehow Bella felt light as she ran into her mother's arms and cried.

 _'Oh Bella,' Renee's voice echoed the most heartbreaking tone as she places her hands on Bella's shoulder. 'You've been so strong my sweet girl. I wish we could be together again...but it's time you went back. It's time to wake up.'_

 _Bella looked up quickly with pure panic in her big brown eyes as Renee started fading away and Bella could feel the warmth that surrounded her body disappear quickly._

 _'Wait! Mom! Don't leave me again! I want to go with you!' Bella begged at the sight of her mother once again leaving the girl behind. She tried to reach out for Renee but for some reason her right hand felt heavy and was unresponsive. Bella's whole body felt the same way as her hand and she couldn't move at all to chase after her mother. When the light finally disperses she knew she was alone yet again in the blinding darkness._ _Before she get the chance to cry out her frustrations a cold burst of air crawls up her spine, chills running throughout her body as she hears a sadistic voice she swore she would never forget._

 _'Did you really think you could escape right when we were in the middle of our game, Isabella?'_

 _'She was never here...' Bella says in a defeated voice; trying to the devastation in her voice. How stupid she felt for actually believing that her suffering was over! Nothing has ever been that easy for her. Now Bella could only hope that he'll end it quickly as she closes her eyes tightly._

 _The last thing she feels is a cold hand take her left hand gently and in a way that was strangely comforting. Then the darkness that shrouded her mind was consumed by that warm light once again and that sadistic haunting voice disappeared along with her pain._

Esme and Carlisle were now sitting in the living room cuddled into each other's arms on the love seat and enjoyed the silence in their big secluded home. The others had just left for school unfortunately for them. Alice wanted to stay close to Bella but she knew the right move would be to let Carlisle and Esme meet Bella first. The tiny vampire could only hope either Carlisle or Esme would be able to connect with Bella when she would awake from her slumber. Emmett didn't want to leave at all so that he could finally meet his new little sister but he was dragged out by Rosalie with Jasper following after Alice.

Edward however, barely returned home after they saved Bella. Carlisle noticed how eager his son was to get out of the house. He had planned on asking what was the problem since it was odd that Edward would suddenly become affected by Bella. Apart from Carlisle he was the strongest when it came to restraint against his thirst for human blood.

 _'Could it be that Bella's scent really is that strong? Jasper doesn't seem to be as affected by Bella so Edward shouldn't have a problem. Unless she is...no she couldn't be?'_

Carlisle considered that the only possibility could be that - that young woman upstairs is Edward's singer. If that were the case they would have to discuss it and see if having Bella in the house would be a problem for him. There was no way he would even consider sending Bella away but at the same time he can't have his son suffering because of his urges to kill her. Carlisle feels it's his responsibility to ensure that everyone in his family is happy as well as accepting of these sudden changes they will all have to undergo in order to help Bella recover. While considering all the trials and tribulations Carlisle ran his hand through his hair and looked out the window to look at the evergreen forest that surrounded their home.

"What's on your mind, love?" Esme's beautiful voice interrupted Carlisle's train of thought. She always knew when he was restless or trying to formulate a plan, her husband was a very passionate man when it came to helping people in need which was exactly one of the things that made her fall in love with him in the first place. He looks down at her from where she rested her head on his shoulder and smiled.

"Just thinking about how much our family has been changing since Bella arrived." He said as he kisses her forehead. It wasn't a lie, Jasper tried his best to provide some calming waves whenever Bella would seem to be in pain or restless in the middle of the night ever since her arrival. Jasper had started sympathizing for her just like Carlisle did after witnessing and dealing the horrors this girl had experienced in Trinity. Carlisle even heard Rosalie pass by Bella's room every now and then but always tried to look uninterested in knowing how the girl was doing; she still didn't fully accept that fact that a human would be living with them from now on. They hadn't even met this fragile human girl personally and yet they were all being affected by her presence.

It had been two days since they saved her from Seattle but since she lost so much blood she had been sleeping all this time. He wondered when Bella would awaken and if she would accept them like they've accepted her already.

It wasn't long before the couple noticed Bella's heart rate suddenly spike up and heard her mumbling incoherent words. They both shot up from their seat and headed for the stairs and within a matter of seconds they were at Bella's door. Before entering, Esme takes her husbands hand in her and shares a moment of uncertainty through her eyes. Carlisle managed to give her a reassuring smile and reached for the door knob. Esme could hear Bella ask for her mother to not leave her again and it truly was heart breaking. The girl's eyebrows were furrowed and she appeared to be in a lot of pain. As gently as she could; the woman sat on the edge of the bed and took the Bella's small hand in hers. Esme wanted to provide as much comfort for her new daughter as she could. Now all that was left to do was to wait and see how Bella would react once she opened her eyes.

* * *

It was strange how real that hand felt from her dream. Only it wasn't a dream; she knew that much and still felt a cold hand holding onto hers. A person? No, this wasn't a person holding her hand - this was a vampire's, she had no doubt about it. Of course luck wasn't on her side. It never was. She was too scared to see who was there but even more concerned when she realized that no one was slapping or shaking her awake by now.

 _Open your eyes! Whoever it is already knows youre away so don't make them wait. Make things easy on yourself._

Bella was trying to convince herself and gather up the courage to face who ever was there. Slowly she starts opening her eyes and they felt heavy and stung from the faint sunlight that was in the room. Sunlight? When was the last time the sun had reached her pale cold skin; the girl couldn't remember.

She tried not to panic, not to keep her hopes up, and fall for another trick she was sure James had come up with just to torture her even more. Once her vision adjusted she noticed she wasn't in that dull dreary room in Trinity. There was no loud blaring club music, no chanting coming from the other rooms, no Victoria yelling and dragging her out of the so called bed she had to sleep in. No Laurent hitting her and making her get ready to entertain the others. And she thanked god that there was no James around to make her play his so called 'games' with him. She could feel her heart beating sporadically out of pain and sheer relief that for once she could wake up on her own.

But where was she? She started looking towards the window that reached all the way to the ceiling and cover the whole wall in front of the bed she was in. Just a sliver of warm orange sunlight slipped through the thick curtains, as if it was calling to her. Were it not for the hand that was holding her she would have sprinted across the room to tear off the curtain and let the sun finally reach her. Then the panic started again when she could feel someone watching her. She was so scared to look up and see who was waiting for her to finally look their way. Why hadn't they started scolding or hitting her for ignoring them?

"Bella?" She flinched as she heard her name being called out by a gentle voice.

Bella slowly turned her head to the left to see a pale hand in hers; it was a woman's hand she realized. Her eyes made their way up towards the woman's shoulder hesitantly, she was wearing a dark evergreen silk blouse and could see she had long wavy caramel colored hair that went just passed her chest. Finally she was met with the most beautiful golden eyes and they were looking right into her brown ones with an expression she couldn't distinguish. The woman was stunning. Her skin was flawless and alabaster, she seemed young maybe in her late twenties when she had been turned into a vampire, and when she smiled at Bella, she looked incredibly warm and kind. When was the last time someone smiled at her with that kind of warmth?

For one strange moment Bella felt loved and for the first time in a long time...safe.

Carlisle leaned against the wall next to the door while observing how scared Bella was as she awoke, he could hear how quickly her little heart was beating in her chest as she took in her surroundings. At a painfully slow pace she looked up at Esme who sat beside her patiently waiting. When they finally made eye contact it looked as if both women were hypnotized, neither looked away and neither Esme nor Bella seemed to be aware of his presence in the room. It was a look he recognized all too well. Carlisle understood that Bella was already accepting Esme, even if she didn't know it yet just like Esme had finally found the child she lost all those years ago. This woman was meant to be Bella's mother and Bella was meant to be her daughter. If he ever wished to physically be able to shed tears of joy - it would have been in that moment and he was grateful to witness such a bond being formed between the two women.

After gathering the courage to approach them he stepped away from the wall and walked over to Bella's bed; unprepared for how Bella would react to his sudden appearance.

"Hello, Bella. How are you feeling?" He asked and saw the girl's face transform from lethargic to completely petrified at hearing his voice. Before he or Esme could say anything else - Bella she slipped out from under the covers and fell to the floor on the other side of the bed. Bella must have forgotten her leg was injured and her legs gave out as soon as her feet made contact with the floor. Alarmed by the pained whimper that Bella let escape form her throat, Carlisle ran to her side while trying to see if her wound had opened from the fall.

"Bella, it's okay! We aren't going to hurt you sweetheart. We want to help you" said an equally worried Esme as she made her way slowly around the bed, she wanted to avoid scaring the girl more than she already was so she made sure to move at a human pace.

Bella wanted to listen and avoid any punishment from the two vampires but she was overwhelmed by the fear. How could she allow herself to feel safe with that woman and fail to notice the man that was behind her, watching them. It was no use trying to look calm when her body was trembling the way it was and the pain in her leg was too present to ignore. While trying to stop the tears that threatened to pool around her eyes she didn't realize the man had already left and returned with a black medical bag and set it down next to her. Bella couldn't help flinching expecting to be hit for being rude to the vampire as she hung her head down low. Esme and Carlisle obviously noticed and as much as it pained them to see the young girl like that, Carlisle wanted to treat her wound first.

"Bella, do you remember who I am?" Carlisle was relieved to see that she hesitantly nodded in response to his question. She remembered a man had come to her aid that night and said his name was Carlisle and that he would help her.

"I promise you I have no intention of harming you what so ever. All I want to do is treat your wounds and get you back to bed so you can be more comfortable. Is that alright with you?" Carlisle asked, sincerely hoping that she will allow him to help her. The wound on her leg had opened again, he noticed at the sight of the bright red spots that began to appear on the surface of the white gauze.

Bella avoids eye contact with Carlisle as she tries to calm down and knew there was no way out of this. If she did deny his help she didn't want to be punished; so she gave in by slightly nodding her consent while keeping her head down.

"Thank you," she hears him breath out before he proceeded to get a new set of bandages and a cloth to clean the blood from his black bag. Esme also sighed in relief as she made her way to stand where her husband was kneeling next to Bella.

As Carlisle began cutting the used bandages on the girl's leg; Bella finally decides to look up and see the man's face as he looked too preoccupied to notice her glances. The man looked perfect and like an angel that fell from the heavens. He had flawless blonde hair that was brushed back and his eyes and skin color were just like the woman's. Although her presence reminded Bella of that of a mother - Carlisle reminded her of the home she never had and it made her feel protected and cared for.

 _Don't get ahead of yourself. They don't care about you, Laurent probably had enough of you and gave you to them._

Once again she tried to bring her head back from the clouds after all, she was sure nothing good lasted this long fo her. Bella just wanted to know what they expected of her so she could stop being a burden to them.

"Okay, Bella, I've finished dressing your wound and I put a numbing cream on it so the pain with be a little more tolerable. I'm going to place you back on the bed, alright?" He says after throwing the used bandages away and waited patiently for her to respond.

"Okay." She whispers as she closed her eyes tight once more. The vampire gently goes to pick her up but when she feels the pressure on her leg she couldn't help but wince from the pain. Immediately after she looks up at him and flinches - waiting for him to punish her. When the expected blow didn't come even after she was placed on the bed she opened her eyes and saw the two vampires had pained expressions at seeing her reaction.

"I'm sorry." Bella apologized to them as she looked back down at her hands that were on her lap, looking at the heavy white cast that ran from her knuckles to her elbow.

"What are you sorry for sweetheart?" Esme asked as she came to stand next to Bella's side of the bed all while trying to maintain a comfortable distance for the girl.

"I-I showed weakness." Bella explained obviously expecting them to get angry with her after pointing out one of the rules James had made sure she never forgot.

"Oh, sweetie, you shouldn't apologize for something like that. It's completely understandable to be in pain." She says as she hesitantly places a hand on the girl's shoulder. Surprisingly Bella didn't flinch or shy away from her touch and it encouraged her to look up at them. Why were they being so understanding of her? Had Laurent not told them how to treat her or what the rules were?

Carlisle couldn't believe that Bella would apologize for being in pain. He wished Jasper were here to help him control his anger; why did this innocent girl have to be so afraid of showing her emotions or her pain, he wondered but he knew why.

Thinking about how to help Bella he remembered what Alice told him before she left for school.

"Bella if it's alright with you, I'd like to ask you some questions so that we can get better acquainted."

Questions, he wanted to know things about her. Why would they want to know anything about her? None of the others ever asked her questions. Not wanting to make him wait any longer she nodded and looked down to her hands again.

"Alright then. Can you tell me your full name?"

"Isabella Marie Swan."

"How old are you?"

How old was she again? It had been so long since she had seen a calendar let alone celebrated her birthday, what could she tell them? Would they angry with her for not knowing?

"Um...I'm not sure. I was born on September thirteenth. What year is it?" Bella asks solely for the purpose of being able to answer the man's question but lowers her head between her shoulders expecting a blow. Esme wanted nothing more than to praise the girl for having the courage for answering any of these questions even though she knew she did it to avoid being in trouble.

"Its okay Bella you can ask us anything. No one will get upset with you over something like that. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want and we'll answer all of them." Esme says as she places her hand on Bella's hoping to calm her. She looks to Carlisle hoping he can encourage her as well.

"Today is the fifth of February and the year is two thousand and six. Take your time and if anything becomes too difficult to answer we can take a break." He adds trying to bring some peace of mind to the girl sitting in front of him.

"I'm sixteen years old..." She answers in what could only be called disbelief as she turned her head away from the two to look out the window; making an effort to stop the tears that resurfaced once again in her eyes. She was sixteen and somehow she made it to be a teenager after everything she went through back in Trinity. A surreal feeling arose from within her. Of course it had not gone unnoticed by the two vampires in the room but they let her feel what she needed to feel without interrupting the girl.

"Can you tell us how long you've been held captive?" He asked after she managed to calm down once again while still avoiding to look into Carlisle's eyes.

"Five years," Bella adds simply while looking at the many green trees that covered the entirety of the window like a canvas.

Esme couldn't help but gasp at the revelation. It was incomprehensible to her how someone could withstand such abuse for so long. Not just anyone; an eleven year old girl! Without even thinking about it Esme reaches out to take the girls hand in hers and tries to hide her heartbreaking expression with a compassionate smile. Carlisle was just as perplexed by what Bella said and felt nothing but anger towards her captors.

"Do you know if you're parents or family might be looking for you?"

Suddenly Bella looks up to meet Carlisles golden eyes with her brown ones and answers without even trying to hide the grief in her voice, "No. They were killed by _him,"_ when she realized the tears were rolling down her cheeks she closed her eyes tightly and looked back down. The next thing she felt were two arms embracing her and one hand gently place on her right knee. She looked up to see Esme was hugging her and Carlisle was looking at her while patting her leg in an effort to comfort her without scaring her.

"I'm so sorry for what's happened to you over the years, love. We can only imagine the pain you've experience and if any of your captors were still alive I would make sure to kill them for you personally." He said whole heartedly and with a conviction Esme hadn't expected from her husband. He truly did care for the human girl just as she did and for him to declare such a thing was just a fragment of how strongly he felt fo their daughter. Esme looked up at her husband and placed her hand on top of his while they shared a loving moment of comprehension for one another.

Bella looked as if she needed to process what Carlisle just said and manages to capture their interest when she spoke again.

"Why do you care so much? Why would you help someone like me?" She was scared that her curiousity would get her into trouble but she needed to know one way or another.

The couple looks towards her at hearing the question of their motives for wanting to comfort her.

"Because sweetheart, we want you to feel accepted and loved by us no matter what. You're a part of our family now and whatever hurts you affects us just as much. As to why we are helping you, it's because we just want you to get back to being a healthy young woman again and all we want is for you to be comfortable so you can recover." Esme says as she positions herself in front of Bella to stroke her hair.

It was hard for Bella to understand why this beautiful woman would want someone like her in their family. If she or Carlisle knew what she had to do to survive - would they still want her? This thought didn't dwell too long in her mind when she felt the sudden need to use the bathroom and as embarrassing as it was to ask, Bella couldn't avoid it.

"Um sir?" She says hesitantly while trying to get the man's attention who was still patting her leg gently. Carlisle couldn't help but shudder at how scared she sounded as she tried to initiate a conversation with him - and did she just call him sir? That will be something he'll have to put a stop to right away, without sounding too demanding.

"Please call me Carlisle, sir makes me feel a little too old." He tried to make a joke but he was sure his sons would make fun of him for how lame it was to consider attempting it. Coming from one of the eldest vampires made it seem like a joke to him however.

"Ok...Carlisle. Can I use the...bathroom?" Bella corrected herself sincerely hoping neither he or Esme will be upset when she asked her question. The girl instinctively hunched over and looked down not wanting to see the disgust in their faces. Esme and Carlisle were saddened by the tiny girls question and by how fast her heart was beating again solely for asking permission to do something. Esme quickly answere before Carlisle could

"Of course you can! You should not even have to ask to do something like that, sweetie. I can help you get to the bathroom and maybe you would like to take a nice warm bath to relax a little if you want that is."

Bella wanted to say no to avoid relying on Esme's kindness but seeing as how her leg was numb from the pain and her arm was in a cast, she had to accept. Before she can answer, she hears the light running of water coming from the bathroom. She looks over to see that Carlisle walked out of the bathroom and smiled before he said, "I'll let you girl's get to it then. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"I'm going to carry you to the bathroom and let you do what you need to do and then I'll return to help you get into the tub." Cautiously Esme goes to lift the covers off of her daughter and carries her to the bathroom then leaves her to tend to her human needs.

"Thank you." Bella whispers knowing the woman can still hear her easily and Esme turns around to give her a kind smile.

"You're most welcome."

After Carlisle stepped into the hallway and waited for his wife to join him, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Unsurprisingly its none other than Alice,

 _You both did good in asking her questions. After Esme helps her out of the tub and she settles into bed make sure you let her know about your children, otherwise it'll be a shock to her when Emmett decides to make an appearance. After that she'll go back to sleep for the rest of the day.'_

Reading his daughter's message brings a smile to Carlisle's face, making sure to give her an appreciative reply before he and Esme both breathed a sigh of relief. Settling into each other's arms and equally feel a wave of determination wash over them - now more than ever to help Bella through this horrible time in her life as a family.

* * *

It was now cutting close to twelve in the afternoon and every student in Forks High School was preoccupied with passing their exams; passing their classes in general. Everyone except for the five young vampires that is.

Emmett distracted himself by intimidating the boys in his gym class, Rosalie could pass her English exams with her eyes closed, Jasper knew everything there was to know about the civil war - he _was_ there after all. While Alice spoke Spanish fluently she often out shone her own teacher. And Edward - well he couldn't care less wether if chromosomes were x-shaped or line shaped, he had already done this project in biology class time and time again.

What truly interested Edward however, was the newest member of the Cullen family named Bella. Ever since she first arrived to their home he hasn't been able to control his thirst and it truly frustrated him but not as much as how he cannot hear her thoughts. He thought that maybe it was because she was in shock and decided to shut down her mind as a defense mechanism; that could be the only explanation.

Edward looked up from his desk as Mr. Mason gave out assignments to work on over the weekend. He could hear every mind in this classroom and even further away; every worry, every daydream, and every idea the students in Forks had. Some thoughts; he would like to be able to shut out such as Jessica Stanley's - the girl had the mind of a horny teenage boy. That girl thought about all kinds of ways to get Edward to like her and whoever he would turn her down or avoid her in the halls, she would think that he was just playing hard to get or trying to be cool. Jessica Stanley thought about seducing him and what it would be like to touch him in all kinds of ways, it truly disturbed him in more ways than one. This time she was thinking about how she can catch his attention.

 _Okay, Edward is going to head for the exit. I gotta make sure to trip right in front of him so that he'll catch me. You got this Jessica! Your dreams are about to become reality!_

Edward couldn't help but scoff at this delusional human girl who was clearly obsessed with getting any sort of attention from the boy, even willing to risk injury to achieve it. If she knew in reality what he was - what he was capable of doing to her, she wouldn't want anything to do with him. Once the thought crosses his mind, he thought about Bella, how will she react when she sees him? Would she be terrified or hostile towards him and his family for what they were? The boy could barely fathom what Bella had gone through in captivity but there was nothing he or anyone in his family could do for her except be there for her and let her recover. If she ever accepted them, it would be out of her own free will and no one could persuade her otherwise.

 _Why are you thinking about her so much? What does it matter to you if she accepts you or not? You don't even know her!_

He thought to himself for thinking about the girl once again. She was so fragile, so distraught after what she went through in Seattle - how could she even consider accepting him and his family of vampires after being held captive by the same species they were. He sighed when he knew it was true and he was truly perplexed in why he thought about the human girl who was now living across the hallway from his bedroom. Just as he made his way towards the exit of his class Jessica positioned herself to be in front of him to get the perfect angle, she imagined herself being caught by him and he would carry her bridal style.

 _Wow, Okay._

And just like she imagined it, he made sure to do the exact opposite. Before Jessica even had the chance to act out her plan Edward walked even faster than he should have and she stumbled behind him causing him to smile when he heard her curse under her breath. When he arrived to the cafeteria all his siblings were already situated in their usual table, away from the rest of the humans. Each one had their own tray with their lunch and pretended to take a bite of pizza or a sip of water occasionally to maintain their appearance of normalcy. Edward couldn't help but grin when he heard Rosalie's disgust when she was the way Mike Newton was digging into his cheeseburger with gusto.

"Rose calm yourself or you might just end up throwing up all over Emmett." He made fun as he sat across from his sister. She glared at him and decided to distract herself by draping Emmett's arm around her and thought of things to do with him when they would be alone. Now it was Edward's turn to be disgusted. This didn't' go unnoticed by Jasper and he tried to contain his amusement. Alice was deep in thought since he arrived to the table but was blocking him from her thoughts, again. Another thing that managed to frustrate him even more.

Why was she guarding her mind so much lately? He thought as he looked at her with his brows furrowed and ran his hand through his wild hair.

"So now that we have a special circumstance in the house why don't we all go for a hunt tonight?" Asked Jasper trying not to make it evident that he just wanted an excuse to be away from their home - from Bella. Jazz didn't have anything against the girl but as long as she was recovering from that laceration he didn't want to risk attacking her and terrifying her more than she already was. Jasper only wanted to help her in any was possible - not worsen her condition.

Rosalie scoffed right away, "Jasper we all know why you want to leave the house and I for one will not coddle the girl just because she's injured. If she has a problem with that then she can leave." When it came to Rosalie she never sugar coated anything.

Alice glared at her right away and had something very unkind to say to the blonde sitting across the table from her as Edward noted. Jasper felt his wife's sudden anger and was quick to calm her down, all that's left is for the two vampire women to fling each other in the cafeteria filled with humans. Jasper took Alice's small hand in his and stared into her eyes, that seemed to be enough for her. Alice calmed down and smiled at Jasper in thanks but that didn't stop her from coming to Bella's defense.

"We all know you don't like Bella since before we brought her from Seattle and I know it's just because she's human. So if you have nothing nice to say about her then just don't say anything at all Rosalie or you'll set back her recovery and ruin everything." She says with her high pitched annoyed tone of voice. Rosalie didn't like being talked back to and they all heard her low growl that came from her chest. She rose from her seat with one swift move and retorted as she walked away.

"Whatever it's your funeral when the girl runs away and tells someone about us and it'll be _your_ fault, Alice."

Emmett gave Alice an apologetic smile and sighed as he stood up to follow after his fuming wife through the cafeteria. Edward didn't miss Emmett's thoughts about Bella during Alice and Rosalie's arguement however.

Even when she was sound asleep in her room he could hear Emmett's plans on teaching the girl about football, video games, and all sorts of pranks to play on Carlisle and Jasper. This time he was planning on sneaking off to Port Angeles and buying her a 'welcome home' present whatever that meant to the child in a man's body. It made Edward curious on how his brother would surprise everyone.

Alice sighed and leaned against Jasper's shoulder and looked at Edward with determined eyes. He sighed knowing full well what his sister would start demanding something of him.

"What is it Alice?" He asked since she was still blocking him out.

"You're not going to run off to Alaska or anything right? I know you've been thinking about it Edward so don't try denying it." She says too quickly for anyone other than he or Jasper to understand. Edward ran his hand through his hand one more time; of course the little pixie knew exactly what he wanted to do without him even knowing it.

"I haven't decided yet, Alice. It's just too hard to be in that house right now." He admitted in a defeated voice as he looked away hoping to escape this conversation with his sister. She was right however, he couldn't deny that Bella affected him in such a way that it was capable of driving him insane and back to his old ways after Carlisle turned him. The girl's blood was too tempting and her scent was too intoxicating to ignore, he needed to leave as soon as possible if he wanted to keep her away from harm.

"No, if you leave now it'll only get worse. You have to stay and endure it or you'll never be able to be in the same room with her, you can't run away because you're scared of hurting her."

"Alice you don't understand how much she affects me - her scent, her blood, everything about her is driving me crazy and I haven't even met the kid yet."

"We could all hurt her in more ways that one but we have to control ourselves because we've done it before. It's not impossible, Edward. Jasper is having a hard enough time as well but he's trying to endure it, for Bella's sake."

Alice had a point, he wasn't leaving because out of fear of hurting Bella, he was running away from her. It scared him how easily he could just sink his teeth into the fragile girl and drink her dry and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him. This wasn't the first time he has thought about the girl's demise under his hand. Jasper or even alice could be very likely to do the same to Bella if she cut herself while in the same room as them, the only difference was they weren't afraid to try to be with her. They wanted nothing more than to help their new little sister heal. She deserved to be loved by her new family and not even he could take that away from her, or his family who have been changing ever since her arrival, especially Edward.

So he decided he wouldn't run away, he would make himself get used to being around the human girl who tempted him so much from across the hall. He would not be like the vampires who took joy in torturing her in Seattle, he would protect her and encourage her to be a part of the Cullen family, just as Carlisle had done for him long ago.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Chapter two is here! Hope you guys enjoy it and feel free to leave a review to let me know how I'm doing! I'm so happy to see that many of you are liking this story and I am always more motivated when I see that people are actually taking an interest in Lionhearted!**


	3. Hope

"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion."- Buddha

~Chapter Three~

Hope

The two women stood in the large bathroom in complete silence, neither having the courage to speak up. The only sound present was the light running of the water as the porcelain bathtub filled with it's warmth. Esme stood next to the tub and thought of ways on how to ask Bella if she could help her shed off the old dirty clothes she had on and into the tub to avoid opening her wounds. Carlisle had made sure to bandage Bella's wound well enough to prevent the water from seeping through so that she could sit comfortably. Esme looked up from the clear water that began to pool in the tub and looked over at the young girl who was leaned against the counter as she appeared to be lost in thought.

Bella simply stared blankly down at her bare feet as they were illuminated by the creamy white tiles that shined so purely under her small feet. She noticed that she could even see her reflection perfectly as the natural light of the sun seeped through the large window next to the bath tub. Suddenly she felt a sense of shame. Her feet were covered in dirt and scrapes and the only thing she could think about was how she was ruining the woman's clean floors. She was about to panic; wanting to clean the perfect tiles from the smudges of dirt but Esme was quick to act as she simply walks over to the tub and asks Bella, "Is the water warm enough for you?"

Bella looked up at Esme with uneasiness in her big brown eyes as she raised her eye brows. As if she could ever contradict this woman, Bella thought as she was too scared to approach Esme on her own or say another word. Bella hesitantly limps slowly over to the tub and dips her left hand in the warm water before nodding.

 _'Would she get angry if I asked for her help?'_ Bella asked herself as she found it difficult to stand on her swore feet any longer.

She fidgeted nervously; not knowing if it would be alright for her to sit. Being too scared to speak up, she cautiously nods and begins to pull off the tattered oversized t-shirt that hid exactly how thin she was with her left hand. Both of the women knew right away it would be difficult to take everything off by herself with one hand. Out of routine she looked over her shoulder to see if the beautiful woman was getting annoyed and instinctively flinched as she expected to feel a blow coming. But it never did and instead of ridiculing her; Esme tried her best to smile empathetically as she slowly walks over to Bella and offers her help.

"May I?".

She asks as she holds out her hands to help Bella - if she would accept it. Bella nods once again but keeps her head down before they attempt to raise the shirt over her head. Once they successfully managed to shed off all of Bella's ruined clothes, Esme's attention was called on by a light tinkling of what sounded like a chain. She looks at Bella's neck where she saw a small chain holding a pendant at the end. It made her wonder if it bore special meaning to Bella but Esme decided she would not pressure the girl to talk about it until she was more comfortable with her. Thus that is when all of the young girls' injuries on her body revealed themselves to Esme.

The compassionate woman covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a gasp as she registered the many bruises all over Bella's small body. She had several cuts on her knees and arms; bruises that ran all over her pure white skin was like a blank canvas that been invaded with shades of purple, faded green, and yellow. Only proving all the abuse she endured over the years and they were there to remind the girl of everything she had experienced. Just the sight of this abuse was enough to bring Esme's golden eyes to fill with tears she could never shed.

"Oh, sweetheart." Were the only words Esme could say as her own emotions grew deeper with her sadness.

Bella looked down at her feet in shame as she hears Esme trying to express herself, her cheeks turning into a shade of pink. She tried her best to swallow her sadness as she hugged herself with her arms and cautiously settles into the bathtub with Esme's help. Bella doesn't speak as to avoid upsetting the vampire but as soon as the warm water encased her bruised body she couldn't oppress a wince from the stinging pain. Once she grew used to the water temperature she let her sore muscles finally relax as she closed her eyes to enjoy the peace while it lasts before the vampire would decide it's enough. Bella couldn't remember the last time she had taken a bath or even bathed herself in water that wasn't freezing cold for that matter. The girl let out a strained breath of air; not of exhaustion or sadness but of disbelief. Bella tried her best but the emotions she felt were too overwhelming for her to stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. For everything that you've had to go through." Esme says as she goes to her knees and looks at the girl who was suffering before her. Bella couldn't stop the tears as such an unfamiliar act of compassion made her emotions waver.

Esme wanted nothing more than to hug Bella and reassure her that everything would be alright now and no one would ever harm her but she knew that Bella wasn't ready for anyone to attempt to get so close to her so suddenly. As she kneels down to the floor next to the bathtub and reaches for the shampoo and conditioner on the shelf to Bella's right.

"Would it be alright if I help you wash your hair and then I'll let you do the rest?" She asks causing Bella to look at Esme as she holds up the bottles in both hands. Bella wanted to say yes but she was scared. Scared that this kind woman would turn out to be a manipulative vampire, just like Victoria was.

Esme misinterprets Bella's sudden withdrawal from her with fear of the woman as she closed her eyes. She couldn't help but feel hurt at how difficult it is for Bella to trust her but it was to be expected given all she's been through up until yesterday.

"I can just leave everything you need here where you can reach it, okay? I'll wait right outside and when you need help just let me know." She says in a gentle voice as she regretfully sets the bottles down on the shelf and stands up.

Bella opens her eyes quickly as she realizes that Esme would leave her alone again. Before she could think twice; she reached her hand out to stop Esme from leaving. Her small fragile hand managed to grab onto the woman's sleeve before she was completely out of reach. Her heart started to pound in her chest once more out of fear this time, fear of being left alone with her thoughts and memories. Esme stopped, by the way Bella suddenly grabbed onto her and hearing the way the girls heart was beating so rapidly. She turns around to see Bella hesitantly look up at her and then down again at the water while still holding onto her sleeve.

"Please...don't...leave."

Bella couldn't deny that she needed help now that her whole body was sore and numbed by the pain that would awaken as soon as she moved so she thought that to be the excuse as to why she suddenly stopped this woman from leaving; when deep down she knew exactly why she stopped her.

Esme lets out a sigh of relief as she takes Bella's small hand in hers and reassures her with a kind smile and whispers, "It would be my pleasure to help you, dear."

Bella positioned herself to sit more comfortably as Esme came over with the bottle of shampoo in one hand and a glass cup in the other. She dipped the cup in the clean water and slowly let the water run on Bella's hair and streams rolled down her face. Bella closed her eyes as she felt the water on her head before she felt two hands gently lather her hair with what smelled like a strawberry scented shampoo. This was such a strange feeling, to have someone care for her and to want to help her. It was an unusual feeling and it only made Bella's emotions betray her once more when her eyes began that familiar sting.

"Would you like to know a little more about the rest of our family, Bella?" Esme asks as she pours another bit of water on the girl's head before massaging her scalp some more. Bella nods slowly and waits to hear about the rest of the Cullens.

"To start, we have two daughters and three sons; Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward. Out of all of us there are three who have special gifts or abilities if you will, so it is very difficult to keep secrets in this family. Alice has the ability to see into her's and other's futures but it can always change depending on how the person takes action. Jasper is Alice's husband and he has the ability to sense emotions as well as alter them, with good intentions of course. And lastly there's Edward. He has the ability to read minds but he tries his best to keep to himself."

' _Edward_..'

Bella repeats the vampires name as it somehow seemed to spark an unknown feeling from her chest as she heard Esme describe her son. It made her wonder who this man was and if he would hurt her the way others had done before. If he could see into her mind, would he be ashamed to even know her?

Esme saw the worry on Bella's face as she explained the powers her three children possessed. She waited as she saw how Bella listened intently before she continued. She finished washing all of the shampoo out of Bella's hair and reached for the conditioner on the shelf. She attempts to bring her mind at ease as she conditions Bella's long brown hair.

"Please, don't worry. None of them will ever try to use their gifts on you to cause you harm, I promise."

 _'I've never heard of a family of vampires before. Especially not ones who posses special powers. If these three have such scary abilities then they could manipulate her even more than Laurent or James did.'_ Bella thought to herself as she tried to wrap her head around what Esme meant by her addressing the vampires as a family. At hearing Esme's reassurance Bella can only hope that she's telling the truth.

"Rosalie is a little more...restrained and serious but underneath that cold exterior there is a strong, capable, and independent woman. Emmett may appear big physically but on the inside there is a little kid who can always manage to brighten up the room with his positive personality - he is also Rosalie's husband. And hence, that is our family. And the most important thing I want you to know is that they would never, ever bring harm to you. No one will ever harm you again as long as we're here." Esme reassures Bella as she puts the glass down on the counter and stands up. Bella just looks up at Esme as she tries to process all the information she had received but finds herself drained of all energy that she had managed to muster ever since she awoke.

"I can leave you alone to relax in the tub a little more if you want and then whenever you are ready, I'll be right outside." Esme suggests as she let some more hot water run in the tub, hoping to give Bella some space from everything she and Carlisle had said to her. She smiled as Bella nodded once again this time only looking at her cast.

Bella managed to whispered a 'thank you' before Esme left the bathroom and closed the door. She looks back and smiles as she left Bella to have some time to finally relax. Leaving the girl alone to let her feel all the emotions she had been trying to repress. Bella rested her head on her knees as she listened to the way the water gently fell into the tub and allowed herself to cry for the first time since she woke to this strange new environment. Possibly even allowing herself to feel a little shred of hope as one word continued to echo in her mind.

 _Family._

* * *

Esme stood outside Bella's bathroom, using the door as support and found herself in a an overwhelmed state. Seeing the way the girl who was to be her daughter had to suffer for so many years only caused her more emotional pain than she ever remembered feeling as a vampire. The emotional and physical pain she had to endure during her human life made Esme who she was today - an incredibly passionate, warm, and loving wife and mother of five children who loved and needed her just as much as she needed them. She only wished she could help Bella see that she would be just as kind and loving to her and find shelter in their family, soon.

She moved to leave Bella's room and opens the door to find her husband leaning against the wall - waiting to give his wife the comfort she needed while keeping his own sadness and anger at bay. The two merely looked into each other's golden eyes, communicating their thoughts in more ways than that of words could express. Esme walked into Carlisle's arms and he embraced her with all the compassion he had to give to his beautiful wife.

"Carlisle," she breathed out as she rests her head against his chest.

"I know, love." Carlisle says as he knows all too well what his wife must be feeling.

"Those bruises," she began as she remembered the frightening sight that caused her heart to break, "her body is covered head to toe in bruises. They treated her like she wasn't even human. How could they do such a thing to a child?"

"What they did to Bella is unforgivable but we will help her recover no matter how long it takes, I swear to you. She'll never have to suffer like that again."

"I wish I could do more for her. I can see it in her eyes, deep down she wants to trust us but the fear always creeps in and pulls her away from us." He knew what Esme meant for he could see the exact same thing when he examined Bella. Carlisle looked over his wife's shoulder, staring at the cream colored door as he continues to embrace her.

"Love, I feel just as hopeless in this moment as you do but if Alice's vision was right; Bella will be a part of this family and she will recover soon. All we have to do is trust that we can help her and give her time." Carlisle's statement managed to pull Esme from her despair finally as she looked up at him and slowly relaxed her furrowed, delicately shaped brows. He smiles and kissed the top of her head. Instead of letting her go however, he only hugs her tighter as they stood in the hallway, taking comfort in one another.

Another moment passes and Esme heard Bella call for her from the bathtub. She detaches herself from her husband's arms and smiles with understanding before she turns to walk back into bedroom.

Esme grabs a bathrobe and helps Bella slip it on as gently as possible and then supports her back to the bed. Best to keep quiet and accept her help until you can start moving on your own. Don't want to cause any more trouble, Bella thought to herself in an attempt to keep calm as Esme sits her down on the bed and reaches for something that was next to her.

Alice had gone to buy her little sister several clothes from only the best brands she could think of and had laid out a set of pajamas especially for Bella to use on the bed. Alice had chosen a beautiful long sleeved nightgown with a gentle lilac color to bring some color to Bella's pale skin, as well as knowing that for the time being she would have to wear loose fitting bottoms to let the wound on her leg breath in order to heal properly. Esme found the pajamas rather refreshing if you compared it to the blood stained baggy shirt the girl had been found in. She was so happy to throw away those horrible clothes and finally put Bella in something fit for a young girl.

"I'll help you get dressed and then dry your hair, okay?"

Bella continues to look down at her bandaged leg as she fidgeted nervously, unsure on how to address Esme's question. It sounded more like an expectation than a question. She nods and lets Esme put the nightgown over her head and successfully got her cast through the long sleeve letting the gown fall down to her ankles on it's own; thanks to its' flowy material. Bella's eyes followed Esme's movements the entire time and when she walked over to the beautiful antique vanity, to the right of the bed, she opened one of the bottom drawers to retrieve the hairdryer Alice had left.

Looking back down out of fear of being confronted for staring, the young woman finally realizes the way the nightgown felt against her skin. It was strange. It didn't cling to her, neither was it old and torn, and it smelled clean like fresh air; something completely new to her. It was soft and kept her warm, she noted as she placed her left hand on the material and rubbed the fabric between two fingers.

While Esme started drying her wet hair, Bella could feel the way the woman gently ran her fingers through her hair, gradually drying from the hot air. Despite the mistreatment Bella had to experience, her hair was a healthy, long, beautiful chocolate brown that ran in waves on her small back and came to a stop at her waist, Esme took into account.

"Thank you...for helping me" Bella says in a humble yet low tone as she looks over her shoulder once Esme turned off the hairdryer.

Esme places her hand on Bella's shoulder as she grants another one of her loving smiles, "You're most welcome."

Right as they hear a knock on the door. Bella instinctively jumps as she looks in the direction of the door - her heart beginning once again to pound in her chest and this didn't go unnoticed by Esme nor for Carlisle as he walked into the room with a tray in his hands.

"I hope you're hungry."

He says as he approaches Bella's bed, pushing passed the girl's fidgeting. Even though her little heart was beating rather loudly in her chest, the smell of the chicken broth wafted over to her nose and as nervous as she was around the male vampire, her stomach didn't shy away from announcing that it needed food by growling rather loudly. As Bella blushed from embarrassment and looked down to let her hair cover her face; Esme and Carlisle couldn't help but smile at one another as they both heard the noise that came from Bella's stomach.

"It's good to see that you are." He says, bringing an even more pink tint to Bella's cheek. Esme makes sure to place a pillow over her lap before setting down the tray on it to make it easier for her to eat comfortably. Bella looked down at the bowl of soup as the steam twirled around the bowl and made it's way over to her nose, making her mouth water instantly.

"Why don't you start eating so that I can give you some medicine after to help you with the pain?" He suggests as Bella tries to grab the spoon with her left hand and sips on the first edible meal she's been given in well over a week.

As she savors the soup in her mouth with a sigh, Carlisle in return gave a sigh of relief of his own; content that he was able to cook something that tasted good for Bella. He had struggled greatly in preparing the broth for the girl in the kitchen for several hours as he looked back and forth from the recipe book, double checking, and trying to follow the steps accordingly - the only worry he had was if the soup would taste dreadful to the human girl who actually could taste food - unlike him.

Esme knew her husband had been cooking in the kitchen while she was with Bella and giggled to herself at the mere image of her husband; the way he muttered his frustrations and huffed as he battled with an overly complicated chef on the tv before she heard him pull out the cook book she never used before. It truly warmed her heart that Carlisle cared so much for Bella already.

Bella continued to eat slowly when Carlisle remembered what Alice said. He needed to explain some of the ground rules for Bella although he could only think of one that everyone in the family follows and knew it wouldn't be a problem for Bella at all- considering the state she was in and that it was just absurd to set rules for one of his children to begin with.

"Bella," Carlisle begins gently, seeing right away how the girl flinches with the spoon in her hand at hearing her name being called out by him - only making him wince at the reaction he received. "I would like to speak to you regarding what we would like to happen from now on."

Bella placed her spoon back down into the bowl of broth and looked up at him with unsure eyes as she waits to hear what the man before her is going to say.

 _'This is it, they're going to tell you what you need to do for them now,'_ she begins to tell herself - fear slowly taking over. She was not surprised that this was all too good to be true.

"As you must know by now from Esme, we are a rather large family and keeping secrets from one another is not possible but even so - we always respect each other's privacy." He says as he explains, trying to get past the fact that Bella's breathing and heart beat were increasing their speed.

"This is your room and the same applies for you, of course. You are a part of this family now like I said before and If you wish to be alone, all you need to do is close the door to your room and no one will barge in, you have my word. The same goes for everyone else. That being said, I want you to start - at your own pace and once your leg heals properly with some rehabilitation, to get used to your new home." Bella stopped eating and looks at Carlisle who was now sitting on a chair near her bed along with Esme next to him. She simply blinked and repeated everything he said to make sure what he was saying was true. Not just another trick.

"In order to do that I will show you around our home so that you can get better acquainted and then you can come and go from your room as you please." Esme says as she helps Carlisle out with explaining certain things to Bella, holding his hand in hers.

So that means that until she recovers enough to do as they wished with her, she will be allowed to have a decent place to sleep, right? She tried to make sense of the words the two vampires were saying to her. Bella couldn't believe her ears; are they saying that she can leave this room as well? There must be some reason.

 _You can't get too invested in this. If you believe in their words too easily it will only hurt you in the end_ ,

She tells herself to bring her head back from the clouds once more. Carlisle could see the emotional turmoil Bella was experiencing as her brows furrowed in confusion and he could understand all too well why that was.

"That's right. You can't hide in your room all day. Starting next week I hope to see you at least spending a little more time out of your room. You can go to the library, the kitchen, or anywhere in the house where the doors aren't closed. Then eventually spend time with all of us downstairs."

Bella couldn't stop herself from looking at Carlisle wide eyed at hearing his words. She will need to meet the rest of the vampires soon then, she feared.

"Okay," she says cautiously, "is it...ok for me to know what you want me to do?" She asks while closing her eyes, not wanting to see the blow that was likely to be coming for speaking out of term to the man.

Carlisle and Esme look at one another before she goes to answer the girls question. "For now, eat and let yourself heal. Occasionally I will ask you to help me around the house, in the garden or cleaning every now and then."

"We won't push you to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing so you shouldn't push yourself either. Your health and well being is the most important thing to us right now." Bella could still not believe that the only thing they want from her is to 'feel better' and do 'chores'. This really must be a trick. How can she allow herself to believe that nothing bad will happen from now on?

"Apart from that I want you to be aware that all of us do have a special diet." At hearing the words Bella flinches but before she could have an opportunity to get even more frightened, Carlisle continues - choosing to push past the way Bella reacted once again to make sure she would understand.

"We do not in any way consume human blood. We strictly hunt animals and only animals to fulfill our thirst. You have no reason to fear us for that. The proof lies in the color of our eyes - that's why they are gold instead of the normal red," he says as the dim sunlight reached his eyes, revealing their golden orbs to Bella.

They have a special diet that doesn't contain that of human blood? That's why their eye color is a different shade than that haunting blood red that she was used to seeing over the years.

"Like I said, no one in this family will let any kind of harm come to you ever again."

"Do you have any questions for us, sweetheart?" Esme asks.

Bella shakes her head as an answer but looks up at the two and hesitantly says, "If it's alright, I would like to clean up after myself and I can cook too."

It was music to Carlisle and Esme's ears. Even though she flinched and waited for a blow to hit her after saying those words- in a way Bella truly was recovering faster than anticipated if she was capable of setting a rule down for herself already. Carlisle takes hold of his wife's hand before he tells his daughter, "It's more than alright with us. Of course, once your wounds heal."

 **Authors note:**

 **Please leave a review to let me know what you think! I write each chapter as every character 'speaks' to me in a way and I make sure to write whole heartedly- if it doesn't feel right then I know I'm not doing this story justice. So please be patient with me!**

 **Thank you for reading this story and for all the lovely reviews I've received**

 **And again thank you for always being patient for those of you who are still supporting this fanfic! I will make sure to make the chapters more interesting from now on, now that I have a little more time to invest in this story.**

 **-Rose**


	4. Delicate

"Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity." - Hippocrates

~Chapter Four~

Delicate

Just as Alice had told Carlisle; Bella was clearly getting more and more drowsy after she managed to eat only half of the broth he had brought for her - her stomach would not allow it and he knew that. Carlisle knew it would be difficult for Bella to regain her appetite and silently wanted to curse those monsters for abusing a child this way.

"I'm sorry." They hear her say under her breath and immediately turned around as he neared the hallway.

"Why are you sorry, sweetheart?" Esme asks, gently placing her hand on Bella's. Bella felt she had done something wrong by not being able to do a simple task such as eating a meal they provided. The only hint Carlisle found as to why she was apologizing was by the way the girl quickly shifted her gaze towards the bowl of soup that she was unable to finish.

"Bella. There's no reason for you to apologize. Esme and I will help you regain your health in every way possible and then you'll be able to eat regularly soon so in the mean time you don't need to force yourself." He explains. Bella wasn't sure if the woman that held her hand would be disgusted with her for being so weak but found that there was only a compassionate expression on Esme's face as she gave her hand a little squeeze.

Back in Trinity, Bella remembered how she had no choice but to train herself to hide her emotions after being punished so many times by Laurent. She trained herself to keep a cold, almost lifeless exterior. However, since meeting Esme and Carlisle- controlling her emotions has proved to be impossible. They have reintroduced her once again to the bizarre feeling of kindness she thought no longer existed in her world. She wished she had the courage to express how she felt as she looked down at the orange quilt on her lap in an attempt to hide her shame. Closing her eyes when she feels a sting, the tears threatening to expose her once again she causes Esme to look at her husband with worry in her golden eyes.

"Okay.." Carlisle furrowed his eyebrows at the weak sound of her voice when she answered him.

"What's wrong Bella? Are you in any pain?" He asks, walking closer to the bed but stops in his tracks when she shrinks down in her pillow and her heart began jumping again. Bella shook her head in a silent no as she feels two tears roll down her cheeks.

"You can tell us, Bella. I can help you if you're in pain." Carlisle tells her as the tears continue to fall from her delicate face.

 _No, I'm not crying because of the pain._

She wanted to say out loud but the knot in her throat stopped the words from coming. Instead she closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew it deep down that they wouldn't be so quick to help her if she told them about all the things the nomads made her do. Bella suddenly felt someone pull her into a strange embrace and something cold wiping away her tears. She opened her eyes to see that Esme held Bella in her arms and Carlisle wiped her tears away with the back of his hand, slowly. Even though she knew she shouldn't relax around them; the feeling of having someone care about her, made the young woman want to accept their kindness while it lasted. She couldn't fight the exhaustion any longer as her eyes felt heavy. She could see the way her tears left little stains on Esme's silk blouse before she completely relaxed in the woman's arms.

"It's okay, Bella." Esme whispers as she runs her hand through Bella's wavy hair comfortingly. Lulling Bella even more to relax in the woman's arms; to trust her, and all at once her eyes felt too heavy to keep them open longer than they already have been.

After more than half an hour passes, Bella exhausted herself and she was finally able to drift into a sleep both vampires knew she needed. Esme and Carlisle both stayed next to Bella as she slept soundly in Esme's arms. Carlisle continued to look at Bella for another moment, wiping away one more stray tear from her cheek and Esme could remember the look of melancholy that the girl had in her eyes before sleeping and their frozen heart's both ached for their daughter.

Their attention was brought away from the sleeping girl's form as he heard the way several tires rolled over the gravel in their driveway - knowing that the rest of the family was home from school. Carlisle stood up from the bed and placed his hand on his wife's shoulder and encouraged her to go with him to speak with the others. Esme nods; gently settling Bella down into the soft pillows and properly covers her little body with the quilt - wanting to warm her back up, knowing that her icy skin temperature was sure to have remained with the young woman.

"Sleep well, Bella." Carlisle whispers before they walk out into the hallway and close the door to the girl's room.

As the couple make their way down the stairs they are immediately consoled by a wave of calm and Jasper walks into the kitchen with Alice close behind him. Carlisle and Esme both smile as they share their appreciation with the empath, understanding that he must have felt the same sadness and anger they had felt all day. Jasper simply nods, clearly known that helping Bella would not be an easy matter; for any of the Cullen's.

"You both did great with her today." Alice says in a chipper voice as she skips over to give both of her adoptive parents a quick hug.

"I hope you're right, Alice." Carlise honestly admits as he holds Esme's hand.

"I am," the pixie says confidently, "everything will work out from now on - we just need to be careful. Bella will accept us sooner than you think." This statement brought a new wave of hope to Carlise and Esme, Jasper noted when he in return felt the exact same way and he was thankful to his wife.

"Recovering from something like this isn't going to be easy for her. Nevertheless, with our help, it's not impossible." Jasper says reassuringly in his smooth southern accent. Trying to help the two gain back some hope and recieves kind smiles from Carlisle and Esme.

"So when do we get to meet the little fighter?" Emmett asks enthusiastically as he enters the room with Rosalie tucked under his right arm only to roll her eyes.

"How did she react when she heard there were more of us?" Jasper asked as the pixie came back around to hug him.

"Don't worry Jazz, she reacted well to the news."

"I highly doubt that." Rosalie retorts back, knowing full well that the pixie only looks at a situation with optimism and it always managed to annoy her. Alice rolls her eyes in response; choosing to keep quiet after their little argument in the cafeteria.

"We will answer all your questions but first we'll need to discuss Bella and what will follow from now on." Carlisle states right before realizing that everyone except for his eldest had made it home.

"Alice? Where's Edward?"

Alice turns away from Jasper as they headed for the dining room to answer Carlisle's question with an apologetic look and says, "He went to hunt before coming home. He should be back soon."

Carlisle sighs as he runs his hand through his neat blonde hair, "I suppose we will start without him. I'll speak with him once he gets back."

* * *

The Cullen's all sat down in their usual seats at the dinning room table - much like they did whenever they had family meetings. Only this time there was a dead silence as they waited with anticipation to hear about the human girl who was currently sleeping peacefully upstairs. Most of them were anyways. Esme sat next to Carlisle at the end of the long oak table while Jasper and Alice sat to her left, leaving the seat next to Esme empty, where Edward would normally occupy it. Rosalie and Emmett sat on the other side of the table to Carlisle's right and patiently maintained a silence along with the others as Carlisle stood up to address everyone in the room.

"As I'm sure you all know by now; Bella's case is a very fragile one and I need you all to understand that her recovery won't be easy. Please also understand that she has suffered greatly at the hands of vampires, I expect it will be particularly difficult for her to trust any of us anytime soon. Alice why don't you tell us about how you see Bella recovering?" Carlisle asks.

"Gladly," Alice begins as she smiles enthusiastically. "One thing I can say that will help Bella is that she has the support from parental figures so Carlisle and Esme will play a larger part in helping her regain that trust she lost in men and women little by little." Carlisle and Esme look to each other and nod for Alice to continue.

"I know she's stronger than we all think and tiptoeing around her will only make things worse so just treat her like you would anyone in this family. She needs to see the how a family works - in good times and bad ones. We," Alice signals to Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. "can do as we always do - argue, joke around, the usual things siblings do. Ultimately all the things Bella will see us doing as a family will make her want to get closer to us in return. So as long as we don't push her too hard then she will be led in the right direction."

"We will help Bella in every way that we can to make sure she recovers from her injuries and then once she feels a little better, she can start to do things a normal girl should. On that topic, although you are free to do as you have always done, we ask that you give her all the space she needs and at least try to behave appropriately when she is in the room." Esme enquires, looking at all of the Cullen children at the table.

Alice nods and smiles before saying one last thing, "Also try to keep the negative comments towards Bella to a minimum."

Everyone turns to the only member of the family who has physically and verbally expressed her disapproval of a human living with the Cullen's.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Rosalie snaps and crosses her arms.

"Rose, we know that this is hard for you to accept but Bella is a part of this family now and we look after our family just as we always have." Esme says as she tries a sympathetic approach with her stubborn daughter. While shaking her head back and forth in disapproval Rosalie's amber eyes looked towards her adoptive parents who were truly hoping she could cooperate with them.

"Fine. She can be a part all she wants but that doesn't mean I'm going to change the way I am for her nor will I spoil her." Emmett gently nudges his wife in an attempt to shake away her fiery attitude only to have her reflect it on to him by glaring at him once more.

"I suppose if that's the nicest thing you can say, we'll just have to take it." Alice comments this time as she looks at her perfectly done manicured nails.

Before Rosalie could fire back anything towards Alice; else Emmett takes the opportunity to avoid another arguement when he decides it's his turn to ask questions now.

"When can we see her?" He asks Carlisle, not able to hide his eagerness to meet Bella.

"We will see how she feels tomorrow once she wakes up and then we can talk about introducing all of you."

Emmett grinned as he thought about how Bella will react when they finally meet but the best part he was mostly excited for was seeing the look on her face when she sees the surprise gift he got for her. He had successfully managed to slip away from everyone before school ended to drive to Port Angeles where he stumbled upon something that reminded him of Bella - for some odd reason that he couldn't quite explain. And he thought it would be perfect for her. He was proud that he even managed to keep Edward out of his thoughts in the cafeteria by jumbling everything about in his head; never revealing what he had in mind for his little sister. Rosalie was very perceptive and knew her husband like the back of her hand so naturally she noticed he hadn't been in school when she found him waiting for her in the parking lot in his Jeep with the biggest grin on his face. When she asked him what his problem was however, he simply played it off as being excited to get home.

"I'll keep an eye out for Bella's emotions and let you know how's she's feeling." Jasper adds as he tells Carlisle what he feels he can do for the girl. He may not be completely comfortable being around a human yet, but he's sure he can at least help soothe her enough to get a good nights rest and possibly try to be a good enough older brother for her someday.

Carlisle places both of his palms down on the table before speaking, "Thank you, son. I know this is an adjustment - for all of us. But I really appreciate your patience and it means a lot that you're all willing to help Bella recover. If that's all then I think we are done here."

After Carlisle and Esme headed back upstairs, everyone went to do their usual routines. Rosalie went down to the garage to get rid of her bad mood and although Emmett wanted to watch his game in the living room; he changed his mind as he made his way downstairs to comfort his upset wife. Alice and Jasper left hand in hand to do a late night hunt. Esme had planned on checking on the next project she had been working on in Port Angeles but she ended up going straight to Bella's room once more to make sure the girl was sleeping comfortably. Carlisle was in his study looking over some paperwork however just like Esme, he kept alert just in case Bella woke up and needed them. Carlisle's attention was called away from his desk when his phone vibrated.

 _We should talk about a vision I saw tonight when I get back. Don't worry it's nothing you can't handle!_

 _\- Alice_

The head of the family couldn't help but sigh and run his hand through his hair once more. Worrying once more as he doesn't know what to expect will happen nor how he would have to go about it. At this point what did his optimistic daughter think Carlisle couldn't handle?

* * *

Somewhere just outside Forks; a young man was brooding as he stalked his prey, hidden in between the trees and waiting for the right opportunity to attack.

Edward Cullen wanted to have control over his thirst even if it would completely diminish once he stepped through the front door. He had promised Alice that after today, there would be no more running. If he wanted to protect his family from the monster within him; this was what he had to do. Even if he was too scared that the intoxicating scent Bella had would overwhelm him so much that he would lose it, even if he was curious to see the face of the girl who unknowingly haunted his every thought ever since she appeared in the Cullen's lives - he knew this was his chance at being able to control the monster he always thought he truly was. He swore he wouldn't ruin anything for his family or Bella - and he will keep his word.

The only question remained in the back of his mind however.

Edward's black eyes followed the mountain lion he had been following and had its sights on a prey of his own. Just as the mountain lion was about to pounce on a beautiful defenseless fawn who hadn't sensed his presence; Edward decided to save her. Running at an incredibly inhuman speed he came to the fawn's aid and defended himself against the mountain lion's attack, creating an opportunity for the fawn to run away to safety before he decided it was time to stop playing with his prey any more than necessary.

As he finished his much needed hunt, Edward stood up and looked up at the midnight sky as the full moon shined down on his pale skin through the trees and his troubled mind returned to the worry that persisted so much.

What will happen once he does meet the human girl named, Bella?

 **Authors Note:**

 **A shorter chapter this time around but look forward to the next one this week!**

 **I hope you enjoy reading Lionhearted just as much as I enjoy writing it :)** **I promise things will start to pick up from this point on.** **Your reviews are always so encouraging and I can't wait to hear what you all have to say!** **Feel free to leave a review to let me know if you liked this chapter.**

 **-Rose**


	5. Don’t Dream It’s Over

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it." – Tori Amos

~Chapter Five~

Don't Dream It's Over

Edward laid in the middle of his most preferred place in Forks with his eyes closed. The meadow was the one place he could detach himself from everything and everyone; his family's many thoughts and opinions often overlapping his own, the students and teachers at his school, and even complete strangers passing by in their vehicles as he drove home. Everything was silent in the sunlit field of flowers and it allowed him to think for himself. Only now his thoughts are filled with Bella.

He had stayed the whole night there, contemplating. And didn't realize what time it was until he opened his eyes and his golden orbs looked up to the sky, seeing how the sky turned to a beautiful fiery dim orange at sunrise. It was time to face his fears and hope that he could control the monster when he would see Bella. Edward stood up and made his way across the field and headed for home. When he made it onto the long driveway that led to the Cullen's residence, he heard a voice calling out to him.

 _Son, can we speak for a moment?_

He heard Carlisle ask through his thoughts as he stood at the bottom of the steps which led to the porch.

"What's going on, Carlisle?" Edward was at his side within no time, worry controlling his voice as Carlisle's passing thought of Esme looking into his eyes with a great sadness clouded his mind.

"I was wondering if I should be asking you that. You haven't been home since yesterday morning and I was hoping everyone would have been present when we discussed how we planned on taking things with Bella from now on." Carlisle says in a worried tone of his own.

"I had a lot on my mind yesterday, I'm sorry for not being here when you needed me. How is she? Is she awake now?"

At the mention of Bella, Carlisle instantly recalled the way the young woman had reacted when she first laid her eyes on him and tried his best to shut out that memory by running his hand through his hair.

"No, she's still sleeping." He answers quietly as if she would hear them outside and wake up at the slightest noise.

Edward wanted to wince; clearly seeing everything Carlisle remembered. Disbelief was the only feeling he could express as he saw the way the girl fled from the bed and fell to the floor in an attempt to distance herself from Carlisle. How she shrunk down at Esme's touch. The way she flinched everytime one of them would speak. She was absolutely terrified of them. She was scared of Carlisle and Esme - of all people! What sort of horrors did this girl experience for her to react in such a way towards the kindest and most loving parents Edward and the rest of his siblings have ever known? The young man placed his hand on his father's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, knowing full well how hurt they must have felt at her reaction. Especially Esme.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you and Esme, dad."

 _Dad._

No matter how many times he heard it, Carlisle always found great joy in hearing such a simple word coming from his children. Edward rarely said it but whenever he did; it truly meant so much more to him - and Carlisle knew it as well. He looked up at his son and couldn't resist the smile that lightened the weight off his shoulders. He placed his hand reassuringly on Edward's shoulder.

"We're just happy that you're here now. That's all that matters, son."

Carlisle was a man with such wisdom and compassion, Edward thought it was impossible to ever fear him. And Esme. The woman was so full of a love that poured out endlessly for all of the Cullen's to feel, she was surely trying to convey that same love over to Bella at this very moment. It must mean more than anything for them to have Bella know exactly how much they've started caring for her and how much they want her to understand that she is a part of this family.

Long ago, his adoptive parents were the first to take him in, they had been his never ending support after he lost his real family to the Spanish Influenza, and saved him from dying that same agonizing death. Both were equally the young man's mentors and confidants. Carlisle taught him self control while Esme taught Edward how to never lose himself in the midst of the battle that raged within him. Nothing could describe how much Edward respected and cared for his mother and father. He could only wish he would be as gracious and generous as these two were and continue being.

"Let's take a walk. We have a lot to discuss." Carlisle interrupts his son's thoughts and begins walking back down the driveway slowly.

Edward runs his hand through his wild bronze hair, looks up at the third floor where he heard the light beating of the human girl as she slept soundly, and followed close behind after his father.

"I'm sure you know by now from what you were able to see - Bella won't trust men or women easily. It seems she was not only physically abused but verbally as well by both in Seattle and anything she does of her own free will; is followed by fear of being punished. I think she is willing to let us take care of her now because she is afraid of being disciplined and my suspicions are that she will do anything in order to keep us content to avoid conflict. The same will apply for the rest of you."

Edward listens whole heartedly to Carlisle as they walked through the forest near their home. His hands in the pockets of his dark green jacket and his head down low, looking at the gravel beneath his feet.

"How is Jasper dealing with Bella being in the house?"

"He's trying his best. It is proving to be a challenge now with the injury on Bella's leg, alhough it should be better within a week."

"If her scent is as strong as I think it is, I'm surprised he's able to abstain." He admits as he takes in the small traces of freesia that still clung to Carlisle's sweater that filled his senses. Carlisle stops walking on the gravel and looks at Edward with wary thoughts in his eyes.

"Is that why you haven't been home? Is it going to be a problem having Bella in our home, son?" Edward turns to look at his father.

"No, I won't let it be. I just needed some time to process everything but I'm alright now. I'm ready to help in any way that I can." He says quickly, trying to reassure his father that he can control the monster for Bella's sake.

"Thank you Edward for understanding."

The two men continue their discussion until they make their way back around to the house and hear a heart beating a little quicker now. They look to one another and Carlisle gives Edward an approving smile before heading up the steps and opens the glass door entering to check on Bella. The young man stands there for another moment or two; inhaling the crisp fresh air outside and holds it in as if his life depended on it until he too walks in.

* * *

As the warmth of the morning sunlight spilled through the long curtains, Bella's eyes fluttered open; her big chocolate brown eyes looking around her as she felt the soft silk sheets under her hands and a fresh yet sweet scent called to her from next to her bed, a beautiful bouquet of violet and white freesia's were set in a crystal vase on the night stand next to her bed. They were so beautiful, Bella thought as she took in their heavenly smell once more before she looked around the room and realized that everything that happened up until now had been real. It wasn't just a dream.

Carlisle seemed to insist that no harm would befall her. She wanted nothing more than to believe in his words for they seemed sincere. She questioned if she could believe that she was indeed free to live without fear from now on, that she was for the first time in a long time, truly safe. Carlisle and Esme mentioned continuously that they were a family but it seemed impossible to think that such a thing existed between vampires. There were countless times when James would snap at Victoria and they would get so violent with one another, their loud primitive voices could be heard through out all of Trinity as they tore into one another and others. Even though they were supposedly mates - family. They hated each other in a twisted way.

Could she really hope that none of the Cullen's would harm her from now on?

Then she remembered something that sparked a panic. She reached up to her neck and breathed a sigh of relief to find that her most cherished possession was still there. A thin chain settled against her chest with a round wood pendant displaying a small ring embellished with a pretty silouhette of a sparrow elegantly seated on a branch. It was the single most important object she managed to protect from the nomads; especially from Victoria who loved taking what wasn't her's and even more when she couldn't have it.

Due to the exhaustion and stress the girl suffered yesterday - she had no recollection of feeling the necklace around her neck. Bella couldn't help but be grateful to the vampires who saved her for not taking it away. After making sure the pendant was intact, a gentle knock was at the door making Bella jump slightly under the thick quilt, her heartbeat accelerating once again.

"Bella? May I come in?" She heard a gentle voice ask from the hallway; Esme's voice she reminded herself.

"Yes?" Esme heard as the girl respond with more of a question than an answer but she was grateful to hear her daughters voice as she pushes the door open. She had been alert all night and waited several hours until Bella was awake to go to her.

"Good morning, sweetheart." She says softly as she stands in the hallway with a mug in her hands. She had prepared a hot herbal tea for the girl just in time before she heard her movements change up stairs and wanted an excuse to be able to see Bella as soon as she woke up.

"Good morning." She replies as she tried to sit up in the bed, wincing slightly from the pain that radiated through her body.

She looked up to see if Esme had moved closer or was about to scold her for being slow, that way she could at least prepare for the blow that was to come. Esme could see the fear through her eyes and wanted nothing more than to go to her daughter but she felt it was better to wait at the door until Bella was ready for her to come in. Esme stood there watching as the girl struggled and gripped the mug in her hand to keep from going to help her; as if it were an invincible wall. Bella looked up and was relieved to see that the vampire hadn't walked through the door yet and took the opportunity to positioned herself to lean against the soft pillows for support. After she was comfortable Bella looked to Esme and tried her best to calm her nerves as the woman smiled and began walking towards her.

"Did you have a good night's rest?" Esme asked as she stood next to Bella's bed and her eyes expressed her genuine concern for her well being.

"Yes." Bella answers shyly as she looked back down at her hands as she rested them on the blue quilt she seemed to find comfort in.

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like some tea to warm you up before you eat breakfast?"

"Thank you." Bella hesitantly accepts as Esme hands her the mug slowly, seeing the way the girl's hand was slightly shaking. Bella looked down into the mug that warmed up her hands; staring at her blurry reflection in the black tea while Esme moved to stand at the foot of the bed.

Carlisle then walks in with his black medical bag in hand and smiles at Bella as he greets her, "Good morning Bella. How are you feeling today?"

Once more Bella grew tense and her breathing became strained as she saw the man walk in. She needed to respond quickly if she wanted to avoid being punished, she picks at the quilt on her lap with her fingers before she answered.

"I feel fine."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yes." She breathes out all while keeping her head down. The truth was that she was in pain now that the medication wore off but she didn't want to inconvenience Carlisle anymore. It made her nervous to ask for any unnecessary help from the two vampires.

"You're lying." Bella's breathing caught in her lungs and her heart began to leap, when she heard the smooth voice with a slight southern accent say in a calm yet stern voice. Esme turned around to find her son; Jasper as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and staring at the girl who was too frightened to look up at him. "You are in pain. So why are you lying?"

"Jasper," she hears Esme say with a small hint of surprise.

"Jasper, I thought we agreed to wait until Bella was ready to meet all of you." Carlisle tells his son, knowing full well how cautious he was of upsetting Bella. He began walking over to Jasper to speak with him when he continued speaking, keeping his golden eyes on the girl on the bed.

"I wanted to help her. She's been nervous ever since she woke up, Carlisle."

Bella had the courage to glance up quickly to see the vampire called Jasper. He was just as attractive as Carlisle; honey blonde curls and well built. But he captured a solemn look in his golden orbs with an air around him that told Bella he wasn't one to spare others too easily. Bella found it to be true when she saw that Jasper was absolutely covered in scars - this clearly had to be due to being a fighter or enforcer of vampires, she thought. She couldn't stop the panic that arose when that thought crossed her wandering mind but then that feeling of calm came again as if a wave passed over her and washed away her anxiety, bringing her attention back to the blonde man.

"I'm...feeling better." She tries to insist once more.

"Even if you feel fine I would like to confirm that as a doctor. Would you mind if I examine you just to make sure and I can check on your wound as well?" Carlisle insists as well. Although she was nervous when she heard those words, she simply nodded her head - knowing there was no point in arguing if she knew what was best for her. The last thing she wanted was to provoke Esme or Carlisle by defying them.

"Bella this is our son, Jasper. He is the one who possesses the gift to feel emotions." Esme says trying to remind the girl of the conversation they had before. Bella looks to the young man in realization with unease in her wandering brown eyes; understanding why she was suddenly feeling relaxed before she could fully panic.

"That's right, Bella. I can feel your pain as well as your fear right now. You have no reason to be scared of me, I won't hurt you."

"That seems like a very dangerous gift to posses." She says as she fiddles with the edge of the quilt, trying to find the courage to speak to the mysterious man.

 _Dangerous and frightening._

"I suppose it can be but it can also come in handy to use to annoy my siblings, if you ask me." He jokes and grins slightly at Bella, receiving a minuscule smile from her in return. Esme and Carlisle both kept quiet as they observed the way their usually quiet son and Bella were communicating; it was touching for their first encounter.

Something about this man somehow brought Bella at ease; not just because of his ability to inflict those feelings but because of his demeanor. He seemed capable of protecting others as well as hurting those who threatened them. Now that she thought about it however, the vampire reminded her of a boy she met in Trinity long ago. Her friend; who also suffered by the hands of the nomads, just like she had - only he had a much worse fate in the end. She shuddered at the memory that taunted her, trying to shake away his image from her mind.

 _No, stop it! Don't think about him again!_

Bella begged for the memory of her fallen friend to disappear by closing her eyes as tight as she could. She couldn't bear to think of him or anyone from that time anymore - it hurt her too much. Even though she knew there was no way to ever escape them. This was the price she had to pay, she told herself as she reached up for the pendant around her neck out of habit and clutched it in her hand. This didn't go unnoticed by Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper and they each felt concerned as to what had just gone through the young woman's mind at that moment to cause her to react that way.

"Bella?" Carlisle asks, rushing back to her side as he sees the pained expression she had. He was surprised when she flinched and curled into herself even more, thinking he would strike her and stopped walking. Jasper felt the overwhelming grief and fear Bella was transferring to him and he was quick to use his gift to send another wave to comfort her. Enabling her to open her eyes once she noticed no one would lash out on her; she keeps her head down and answers Carlisle's question in a whisper.

"It hurts."

It wasn't just the physical pain Bella was referring to and Jasper knew it. The only thing he couldn't ever know was what went through her mind as she looked at him with those sorrowful eyes. Maybe Edward was able to hear her thoughts now that he's back, the empath thought.

It's not long after Bella manages to finish her tea that she hears a quick knock on the door. Bella looked towards the doorway and sees a short young woman with black hair, a big bright smile, and started gracefully skipping her way over to them. She was beautiful and her happy demeanor seemed to brighten up the room.

"I brought you breakfast, Bella." She says demonstrating the tray of food in her hands.

Jasper turned to look at the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder, seeing how stiff Bella's body became as soon as she saw her. She stopped before she got too close to the bed and appeared to have a wordless conversation with the empath by looking into his eyes. The woman sighs and rolls her eyes at him before saying, "Alright, Jazz. I'll take things slow but she'll be ok with this much. I've seen it."

Jasper had no choice but to shake his head in defeat as a smile played on his lips, knowing there was no reasoning with his wife. Alice smiles once again this time directly at Bella, she was barely able to contain her excitement as her amber eyes shined like the sun. Bella put two and two together and knew that this confident woman was the one who could see visions.

"Here you go!" Alice says as she hands the tray over to Esme, who gave her daughter a questioning look only to receive a wink before she spun around and began, "I'm Alice! It's nice to finally meet you, Bella! You look adorable in your night gown by the way - I always knew purple was the right color for you! I even got you those flowers to match, they're pretty, right?"

Bella looks to her left where the beautiful bouquet was on the night stand and blushed slightly as she felt happy that those flowers had been meant for her. It was the first time anyone had ever given her flowers. Although she was sure that they would change their minds about her eventually over time.

"They're...really pretty."

This caused Esme and Carlisle to face Alice approvingly for putting so much attention to the littlest of things. Even Jasper was smiling down from behind his wife and shared his own dose of pride for her to feel. The pixie turned around to look at her husband and became even more giddy as she began clapping cheerfully.

"I knew you would like them! I'm so glad! Now make sure you eat up and rest because soon we'll be shopping for some new clothes to fill up that closet!"

Bella continues looking at Alice in surprise as she sees the way the woman floated around the room freely - talking on and on without fear of being punished by the others. Alice seemed to be defiant of Jasper so the girl worried that maybe an argument would arise and she would have to witness violence once again. It made her uncomfortable but when she checked to see what sort of reaction the pixie was receiving from the rest, all three of them wore amused expressions on their faces, trying not to laugh. It looked as if they were all used to the pixie's hyperactive personality.

Bella was thankful when Jasper decided they should give her some space in order for Carlisle to check on the laceration on her leg, he takes his wife's hand and begins pulling her back out into the hallway. In a way he had to because otherwise Alice would have talked Bella's ears off.

"We'll see you later, Bella!" Alice waves at her new little sister as she begins skipping away.

"Bye." Bella says gently; thinking how strange Alice is but at the same time she didn't seem to be malicious in any way as far as she could see as unpredictable as she appeared. Jasper seemed nice as well. Maybe they wouldn't be that bad, maybe they would actually treat her like a person and not a tool.

 _In the beginning but what about later on?_

Bella managed to eat a small amount of the oatmeal and fruit Alice brought, she thanked Esme as she took the tray and waited for Carlisle to begin examining her. She was relieved that Esme stayed in the room this time, it made her feel somewhat safe to have another woman close by. Carlisle moved slowly and told her what he would do before hand, for Bella's sake. He held her wrist in between his first and second fingers to press on her left wrist, he looked to his watch and counted her pulse. Then he took the stethoscope from his bag and gently placed the bell over her night gown to listen to her breathing. He was pleased that apart from the way her heart was pounding in her little chest; her respiration and pulse rate were healthy as can be.

"All that's left is to check up on your leg. May I?" Carlisle asks and waits until Bella agrees before he lifts the quilt off to the side. He tried his best to get past all the bruises and small cuts that painted her pale skin and focused on the the bandage to clean the gash and replace it. When he began cutting the bandage he felt Bella tense up under his cold touch.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm almost done."

She nodded before looking away towards the window, not wanting to see the sight of her own blood or how the wound looked - it's always been this way for her, even when she was a child. The sight of blood always made her feel sick. Luckily she relaxed more when Esme came around to the other side of the bed to sit down and placed her hand on Bella's back. After Carlisle applied the antibiotic ointment, wrapped another sterile gauze bandage to help prevent further infection. He had to give her eight stitches and he worried it would get infected over night after she opened the wound but to his relief it appeared to be healing properly. When he finished, he gathered the used bandages and put them in a bag to discard them later.

"Esme can help you clean the wound until you can support yourself in a couple of days. When you stay in bed, make sure to keep your leg elevated, and drink lots of fluids."

Bella's eyes followed him to the door and she realized that Carlisle liked helping people. In all the years she's known about the existence of vampires, she's never once imagined there would be one who would involve himself in a hospital to help humans. Being surrounded by blood everyday and having such restraint was - commendable.

"Thank you, Carlisle."

Carlisle couldn't help the smile that appeared on his mouth as he heard Bella call him by his name for the first time and without hearing the usual fearful voice whenever she spoke to them although it was still hesitant.

"Anytime you need help, Bella. I'm always going to be here."

Bella smiled quickly as she glanced up at him before averting her eyes once more.

Carlisle stepped out of his daughter's room to be met by Alice who was beaming as she went over and hugged her adoptive father.

"Today will be a really good day for her."

"Did you see another vision?" Esme asks as she walked out of Bella's room while the girl was in the bathroom.

"I did. Bella is going to have a difficult time sleeping after this. Make sure you and Esme get to her before the nightmares get really bad, she'll need you. The both of you." This sparked worry in them.

"What should we expect from now on?" Carlisle asks.

"We'll be hearing her call out to mom and dad in her sleep often. I spoke with Jasper and he will be helping out to help soothe her." Alice emphasizes on the 'both' as she knew Carlisle thought Bella would only be accepting of Esme, which in part was true, but soon that would change. Esme and Carlisle shared nervous looks but were at ease by another wave Jasper sent to them from downstairs and Alice held both of their hands in hers.

"Don't worry. It'll be okay."

"Thank you." Carlisle thanks the pixie and the empath before she runs back down to join her husband.

* * *

The rest of the Cullen children were downstairs intently listening as Bella was in her room with Carlisle and Esme. The way Bella's soft voice hesitantly spoke to Jasper and Alice when they introduced themselves as well as the way her heart was beating quickly everytime anyone would speak to her.

Alice skipped in to the living room with Jasper close behind to find Emmett sitting on the couch, trying to watch a football game on the television but kept moving restlessly as he tapped his hand repeatedly on his knee. He was indecisive on when he should go meet his little sister without scaring her. Alice had not been able to see anything in her visions because he kept changing his mind and it started giving her a headache, if that was even possible.

"Do you want to meet Bella today or not?" The pixie asks trying to help him decide once and for all as she leans against the back of the couch. Jasper sat at the table with a book in hand but couldn't help get excited for his brother and wife as their excitement was intoxicating.

Emmett stopped his fidgeting and was on his feet before she could finish her question. A huge childish grin played on his face, displaying the dimples on his cheeks, "It's ok if I meet her today?"

She nods, a smile that reached her amber eyes, before he lifts the pixie into a big hug. She giggles as he spun them around and recieved an overly enthusiast laugh of his own. When he puts her back down, he was out of the living room in the blink of an eye. Completely ignoring Edward's presence as he speeds passed him in the hallway.

"I'll be right back!" Emmett announces as he disappeared down the stairs.

"What is he up to now?" Edward quirked his eyebrows as he looks at his amused siblings who were trying not to laugh at the big teddy bears excitement.

"Oh, you know, Emmett being his usual childish self." Alice says jokingly as Rosalie stood in the doorway to the living room and rolls her eyes before turning back around and heading for her bedroom.

 **Author's note:**

 **I do not own Twilight or the characters what so ever. I just enjoy writing about them.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter even though it was a long one :)**

 **This time everyone, except for Rosalie, wanted to have some time in chapter seven! I'm so excited to have Emmett and Bella meet although I know most of you are curious to see how she'll react when she finally sees Edward. Bella's past is a very troubled yet mysterious one to the Cullens and it will take time until she can place her trust in them to fully tell her whole story.**


	6. Luminous

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! I'm finally back from my rather long hiatus! First of all I'd like to apologize for being so inactive with my stories, especially Lionhearted since it was the very first story I chose to write and share with all of you! Sometimes life knows how to knock you down and believe me—it has done a wonderful job at it these past few months haha. I won't bore you with the details of my personal life but I'm much better now and I'm back so that's all that matters! I've missed writing like you'll never know and I'm so grateful for all the reviews I have recieved from all of you and my newest readers as well! They truly encouraged me to keep going! So thank you all for the support! ~Rose~**

* * *

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." - Leo Tolstoy

~Chapter Six~

Luminous

That evening Bella managed to relax after Carlisle gave her a some Percocet for the pain to stay at bay for the rest of the night and she laid back down into the comfort of her bed, holding the quilt close to her chest with her hand. She began closing her eyes slowly but fought off her exhaustion by never taking them off of Carlisle as he began walking out of the room with his black bag. Right as he walked out, Esme stood up from her chair and began asking Bella if she needed something before she left to leave the girl to rest without worry.

"Would you like anything else, Bella? Maybe a book to read or—" Esme couldn't finish when she noticed Bella's big brown eyes were wide open, staring at something over Esme's shoulder.

Bella's mouth was slightly open as she stared at the large stuffed teddy bear that covered more than half of the doorway with its' size. It was a stuffed brown bear with a dark green bow tie around it's neck and most likely two times bigger than Bella was, standing up. Bella furrowed her eyebrows as confusion rose and looked at Esme but quickly understood when her eyes caught a glimpse of two burly arms wrapped around the bear's torso holding it up. She held her breath and clutched her necklace tightly as a man with dark curly hair popped his head to the side with a big smile that revealed his dimples in the corners of his mouth and his golden eyes shined with enthusiasm as they landed on her.

Esme followed Bella's gaze and exhaled deeply as she began walking over to her son, "Emmett! What are you doing?"

"Hi Bella!" Emmett managed to say before Esme blocked his way into the room, with her hands resting on her hips and a look in her eyes that communicated that she was serious. As much as she loved her son and all his boyish charm that he never grew out of—she knew that she needed to look out for Bella and her health in this moment.

"Emmett, please behave yourself." She said as she shifted her eyes over her shoulder to where she could hear the young girl's heart pounding heavily in her chest.

"I just came by to meet Bella since Alice and Jasper already got the chance to, mom!" He answers while focusing over to Bella who was looking at him with worry filled eyes. Emmett held the bear up even higher to show her that he meant no harm and smiled. "I brought you a get well present, Bells!"

Bella took a quick glance up at the bear and back to the intimidating vampire before gripping the blanket in her left hand to help her cope with her fear. She nodded in response and looked down, too scared to see how close the man would get. What he could do to her if she showed him that she was afraid. She remembered how angry James would get with her whenever she showed that she was afraid of the men that he would sell her off to.

Esme and Emmett could both hear the girl's heart jumping from place to place and her strained breathing increasing as she kept her head down. To bring his mother's mind at ease Emmett asked her how close he could get without Bella hearing so as to not frighten her. Esme looked up at her son and let him pass. She told him to place the bear by the large window on the other side of the room, in front of Bella's bed so that she could see her gift if she wanted.

As soon as the bear was put down, Bella looked up and gasped at the man's figure that was in full view now. He was very tall, taller than Carlisle and Jasper and much bigger. Like a weight lifter. His whole appearance could scare any person away, she thought, but when he turned around and smiled at her, Bella could feel the light air that surrounded him. There was no malice and not even a dirty look hidden in his golden eyes. If anything, the way he acted was like that of a child with no cares in the world. As intimidating as he looked, she could see that Emmett reminded her of an actual teddy bear underneath that frightening exterior. It sparked just a small ounce of security in her—one that she hadn't felt before.

She was relieved that he didn't move closer to her but simply stood next to the large bear with the bow on it's neck. His eyes shined as if he waited for her to do or say something and it made Bella feel self conscious. She looked back down at her white cast and scratched the hard surface with her nails. What did he want from her now? Was he expecting her to repay him for the gift? Bella's mind worried as she thought about what they wanted her to start doing.

Seeing her reaction, Emmett felt as if Bella hadn't liked the gift he had gotten for her.

"Do you like it? If you don't then I, uh, I can run and get you a different one! I should have known green wasn't a good color for a girl! Maybe the one with the pink ribbon was better...but I didn't think so..." he began speaking to himself as he contemplated what to do next while holding his hand to his chin. Bella looked over to Esme to be told what to do next so that she could avoid upsetting the big vampire.

Esme was trying her best to reassure her that she was safe but she walked over to stand next to Bella's side of the bed and asked her, "Do you like the gift Emmett got for you, Bella?"

Esme's question made Bella's heart skip again. She opened her mouth and closed it again when she thought about what the right answer would be. What if it was a trick question and they would get mad if she answered wrongly? It was only when she felt a wave of courage fill her mind that she glanced up at the burly man who looked a little downcast as he sat down on the floor next to the stuffed bear with his legs crossed. He was almost the exact same size as the bear, Bella noticed.

"I..I like it...thank you." she whispered. Emmet whipped his head up in surprise and was immediately beaming with excitement.

"Really? That's great! When you feel better I'll take you to the store so you can pick out a little friend for Mr. Bear!" He says energetically as he patted the bears' head. Clearly ecstatic with the outcome of his choice.

"Mr. Bear, Emmett? Really?" Esme asked, shaking her head at her son's creative mind.

"Either that or Mr. Bean! He kind of looks like Teddy, don't you think? You take your pick!" He lets out a booming laugh that makes Bella flinch in surprise. She looked at him with her big wide eyes and Esme giggled lightly at her son.

"Emmett here is very big on jokes, you see." Esme tells Bella as she leaned closer to her daughter, "even the ones that aren't that funny. We all like to think that he's the child of the family."

"Child, hunk, the cool guy of the family—you name it and I'm all of those." He says confidently as he stands up, almost towering over Bella and Esme who were sitting on the bed with his incredible height.

"We could add on some more accurate things to call you to the list also!" They could hear Alice's voice chime in from the hallway which made Emmett laugh once again as he walked over to the door.

"Yeah, like how I tower over a tiny pixie I know!" Carlisle arrived just as Emmett yelled in his ear unintentionally, making his golden eyes pop open wide as he hadn't expected to be yelled at. If Carlisle had been human there was no doubt that his ears would have been ringing, as he held his hand to his right ear. Emmett looked down at his father and gave him a sheepish smile, bringing a giggle from Esme.

"Oops, sorry dad."

Bella observed them with the exact same expression Carlisle had from afar. But for a small second, a smile escaped from her lips and lit up her pale delicate face before she avoided looking at the vampires for too long. She thought that no one had seen her smile, however, Esme's cold heart, warmed at catching such a hopeful sight from her youngest daughter.

"It's alright, son. But perhaps you better go downstairs with your siblings if you're going to start with your mischief. I think it's time we let Bella get some rest too."

"You think I'm the mischievous one?" He asks with a feigned shocked tone as he placed his hand on his big chest.

"We know you are!" Jasper and Alice both yelled out from downstairs while Carlisle and Esme just nodded their heads in unison.

"Well someone's gotta keep you all on the edge of your seats! I'll see you later Bella! Bye Mr. Bear!" Emmett laughed as he waved goodbye as Esme grabbed onto his arm and led him out, like a mother ushering her child away from the window of a candy store. Bella blinked as she watched the big bear of a man disappear into the hallway, leaving her once again in the tranquil silence of her room with Carlisle smiling to himself.

The more she got to know of the Cullen's family, the more perplexed she seemed to be getting. She wanted to trust that they actually were this kind and understanding but the reality was that things just never were that simple for her. Bella kept telling herself to remember that this treatment was temporary until she recovers from her wounds. To not forget that she couldn't keep the bad away for long—eventually this family would tire of her and be just like the rest who treated her like a tool.

She turned onto her side while avoiding applying pressure to her leg and sunk her head into the soft fluffy pillows. She looked at the teddy bear that Emmett had left for her and stared at it with curiosity. It looked as if it was smiling back at her and it made her wonder—when was the last time she had received a gift? A stuffed animal that was meant for a child. She wasn't a child anymore, she thought, and she stopped being one the day her parents were murdered in cold blood and she was used as a whore by James and Laurent. So why do the Cullen's treat her like she was someone they needed to take care of instead of use?

Before lulling herself to sleep, Bella looked at the window where the sun had disappeared behind the tall trees; leaving a trail of its warmth in the darkening sky. Just as she closed her eyes and let exhaustion set in, she heard Carlisle's voice whisper.

"Good night, Bella."

* * *

Edward stood at the end of the stairs, listening intently to his brother's and Bella's interaction. She rarely spoke but her heart was skipping in her chest so quickly he knew there was nothing wrong with her physically. But mentally? He tried his best to reach his gift out to Bella so that he could understand what was going on through her mind but try as he may—there was nothing. It was as if she was a blank canvas; one that she wouldn't let anyone invade with the warmth of their colors. This frustrated Edward more than he would have cared to admit. It was more straining than it was to hear Alice's thoughts when she shut him out but then again, Alice had learned how to block the mind reader from hearing her thoughts after many years of living under the same roof.

And yet this mysterious human girl was capable of shutting him out without trying. How could that be?

 _"Maybe she's a shield after all..."_ Edward thought as Emmett trudged back down the steps with Esme and Carlisle following suit; all preoccupied with thoughts of Bella.

"She's fast asleep now. We should let her rest before she meets anyone else." Carlisle says.

"Well when can we see her again? Tomorrow?" Emmett asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow you all have school to look forward to." Esme said to her children but Edward could hear how concerned her thoughts were that maybe they would be pushing the human girl too much if she met anyone else from the family too soon.

"Sounds good to me! I wanted to speak with you two about Bella attending school with us. It's nothing certain yet but if what I'm seeing is correct—Bella should be able to catch up to us in a year." Alice said as her eyes beamed with optimism. Carlisle and Esme sighed as they watched their daughter skip over to Jasper and hug him.

"Really?" Emmett asks and Edward could already hear his adoptive parents regretting Alice's declaration.

"For now we need to focus on Bella's recovery and then we can discuss her education. You all need to take into account that Bella hasn't been near humans in a long time and her being in large crowds now will only affect her negatively." Carlisle says to make everyone understand his reasoning.

Everyone retreated to their bedrooms later that night except for Jasper and Alice who had decided to go for a hunt before Bella would awake again.

Edward had planned on simply running straight for his bedroom at the end of the hallway. He ran up the stairs and started passing Bella's room until he heard a light heart beating behind the creme colored door. He looked over his shoulder and stared in the direction of the heart beat. Not being able to fight off the urge, Edward walked back and stood in front of the girl's door and hesitantly takes in a breath of air to receive a strong scent of lavender and freesia that instantly created a pool of venom in his mouth. Feeling overwhelmed by the sudden delicious scent, the vampire placed his hand over his mouth as he swallowed the poison down his throat and rushed into his room without looking back. Edward closed the door to his room quickly and leaned against his door. Looking out the window across his room; thinking how difficult being near Bella will actually be. He went over to his stereo and picked out a disc from his collection of music and placed it into the player to help soothe his emotional turmoil. But try as he may to distract himself, Bella's scent and her human heart were a constant reminder of what the vampire was and what he never could be again.

Just as Edward laid down on the couch and closed his eyes, he heard a muffled voice call out.

 _"Please..."_

He sat up from the sofa in his room and walked over to the stereo using his vampire speed. He paused the music as he listened patiently to hear the voice once more. It was only when he heard a short sob did he open the door to his room to find Esme and Carlisle standing in the hallway in front of Bella's door.

"What's going on?" He asked his parents who had hesitant yet worried thoughts running in their minds. Esme turned to look at her son with worry in her amber eyes.

"Alice said this would happen," Esme said before she looked to Carlisle and he nodded. While Edward furrowed his brows, as he watched his mother enter the girl's room where he could hear her distress. Trying his best to overcome his own worries with concern for Bella's well being he leaned against the wall as Esme entered the room and once again held his breath like his life depended on it.

* * *

Bella's dreams started to take over her peaceful rest that night. Over the past few days she had grown accustomed to slipping into a deep sleep without anything disrupting it. Now that her mind finally surrendered into the dream realm; she couldn't differentiate between reality and nightmare. Restlessness took over her body as she tossed and turned underneath the sheets of her bed.

Bella opened her eyes to find that she wasn't in the room where Carlisle and Esme had put her in. She was back in the dark room that she had been kept in for years once again. She stumbled to stand up as she ran to the corner she used to use whenever she waited for someone to come get her. For James. She instantly felt tears well up in her large eyes as she heard footsteps approaching and she dreaded to see who was to come as they opened the door and the horrid smell of smoke and alcohol wafted in along with the rancid laugh that haunted her. Carlisle and Esme must have changed their minds about her and sent her back where they thought she truly belonged, Bella thought as an empty feeling grew in her stomach. _Of course they would—look at you! You're nothing just like James always says._

Bella shook her head back and forth as she tried to stifle a sob as _He_ walked closer and closer to her and she pleaded for him to stop. If she had to endure one more day of being used for her body and blood—Bella would much rather die.

"No! No please...stop." She sobbed before she felt a hand grab onto her arm and yank her up on her feet. Before He led her out of the room, she jumped up screaming, keeping her eyes shut as she tried to get away from the hold he had on her arm.

Esme's heart broke as she witnesses the emotional hell the girl was currently trapped in. Esme holds her hand the way she had before only this time Bella tried to get away from her gentle, cold touch by trying to push her hand away.

"Bella, it's me, Esme! You're safe, sweetheart. I'm here, you're safe now. Open your eyes, sweetie." She pleaded with her daughter as Bella shook her head against the pillow and kept her eyes shut tight, pleading to be left alone. "You're safe Bella."

After finally hearing the gentle voice of the vampire who took her in, Bella slowly opened her eyes as she tried to see through her blurry vision while tears rolled down the sides of her face. The room was dark with only the dim warm light in the hallway creating a silhouette of the woman who held her hand. She immediately panicked as she hadn't fully realized that it had just been a dream.

"I...I c-can't see..." She trembled as she found it difficult to breath as she desperately tried to find anything that could show her that she wasn't back in that horrid room again.

Carlisle ran over to the lamp on the night stand immediately and turned it on for his daughter. He feared that if she didn't calm down soon, she would have a panick attack as he picked up on her breathing. Bella squinted her eyes as she saw Esme and Carlisle's blurry figures in front of her. Taking in deep shallow breaths, Bella's brown eyes filled with realization as the tears rolled down.

"It's alright Bella. It was just a dream. You're safe now." Esme said in a quiet voice, running her hand over her hair.

 _It was just a dream..?_ Bella asked herself as she continued looking around. She looked up at Esme and Carlisle with shock before she spoke. She quickly hunched her shoulders and lowered her head as she waited for the blow.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I-I didn't me-mean to do that." She said quickly, reaching her hand up to the pendant that hung on her chest. Esme still felt the way Bella was trembling in the bed so she reached for the sheets and quilt that her daughter had kicked off and began covering her up.

"It's okay, Bella. We're not mad at all," She said as she gently and slowly eased Bella into the pillows once again. "Would you like it if I stayed with you tonight? I don't mind keeping you company until you fall asleep again."

Bella looked up at the woman's amber eyes with confusion. What would the vampire want in return if she stayed? Not wanting to be a burden she shakes her head and looks away.

"Are you sure?" She asks once more.

"I'm...sure."

Esme looks up at Carlisle with saddened eyes. Her husband sighs before motioning to the door. Just as Carlisle began reaching for the lamp to turn it off, they heard Bella gasp slightly. They turned their attention to her to see her frightened eyes looking at the warmth of the light that seemed to have comforted her. Carlisle leaned away from the lamp and smiles at his daughter.

"I'll leave the light on for you, Bella. If you need anything at all, you call on us alright?" He waited until Bella nodded hesitantly before he turned around and walked back into the hallway.

Esme slowly stood up from Bella's side and told her that if she needed anything at all, she would be just downstairs. Bella hadn't wanted Esme to leave, if she was speaking truthfully to herself, but she was scared. Scared to be alone in the dark, scared that the nightmares would return, and most of all scared that they would change their minds if they found out how undeserving she knew she was. As her tired eyes followed Esme's figure fading away into the dim hallway, the young woman caught a glimpse of an angel. No, it wasn't an angel, she corrected herself.

 _A vampire._

Bella felt her heart beginning to beat strangely as she gazed hesitantly at the gorgeous Adonis who leaned against the wall across the hall from her room. His skin was white as snow—almost translucent and his brown hair shimmered bronze in the light while his eyes; were beautiful and haunting. Hypnotizing orbs of amber were gazing at her with an intensity Bella couldn't describe. Was it anger? Or maybe sadness that made the boy's delicate face look like it could shatter at any moment? Bella couldn't understand why such a being was looking at her in such a way. She was afraid and yet, something about this man made her feel...strange. She didn't understand what she felt exactly. Only that it made her question if maybe this man did have intentions to hurt her. Her cheeks began to burn up from the self-consciousness she felt because of his golden eyes gazing at her.

She settled into the pillow and held her pendant in her hand tightly before she finally broke their gaze for a split second. When she looked back up she realized that the man in the hallway was gone—just as quickly as he had appeared. She looked out at the empty hallway and bit her lip.

 _Was it just my imagination?_ She asked herself, thinking that she truly was starting to hallucinate—but why wasn't it her mother or the ones she had once called her friends who had passed on because of James and his cruelty, this time?

Why did she see someone so perfect and not the ones who she grew used to haunting her in her dreams? Bella closed her eyes after pondering for a moment and wished to fall into a deep sleep only this time without nightmares of monsters chasing after her. And while she slept she dreamed of nothing and everything as a faint melody surrounded her, comforting her and keeping away the darkest of nightmares.

* * *

Edward ran to his bedroom and closed the door abruptly; thinking that if he had a heart it would be in his throat at this very moment.

After witnessing the way the girl shied away from Esme and Carlisle's touch, he let his worry for the girl's well being control his blood lust for her. He saw how tortured and frightened she was in her dreams and even when she awoke she frantically sought comfort in something. It was only when Carlisle turned on the light that he understood—Bella was afraid of being in the dark. The boy could hear his parents' sadness once again at her flinching as she waited to be hit by them—all the while, Bella's thoughts remained silent. Esme had insisted that she stay with Bella and even though he could see how much the girl wanted his mother to stay by her side, she still said no.

Once his mother and father left the girl in her room, he had expected to see a little girl curling up in the bed to sleep away the exhaustion. He was going to push off the wall and walk back to his bedroom down the hallway until the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes he's ever seen looked into his. Her big, wandering eyes expressed her fear and wariness and he knew why. Yet, he continued standing there as he took in her appearance for the first time since her arrival. Even the images he recieved from his family paled in comparison to how beautiful the girl was in person.

 _Beautiful? Where did that come from?_ He wondered what compelled him to think something so unexpected. Sensing her eyes observing him, he looked back up at the girl. Allowing his senses to be taken over by Bella's pure beauty.

Bella's skin was as pale as his and if not for the slight pink tint in her cheeks Edward would have thought she was a vampire as well. Her brown hair was long and flowing freely around her pillow, hundreds of silk strands dancing around her heart-shaped face, accentuating her eyes and plump pink lips in the gentle light the lamp provided. The girl's heart was jumping back and forth in her chest, so much that he feared she would have a panic attack if he moved, so he didn't. He simply stood there, looking at Bella. Edward breathed in the venom inducing aroma of freesia and lavender and held his breath in once again, not wanting to test his endurance more than he already has today. She truly _was_ beautiful in every sense of the word, even her scent spoke volumes of her beauty. _What is the matter with me?_

He watched as she sunk deeper under the covers and clutched a small pendant in her hand with uncertainty as she averted her eyes from him finally. Edward took the opportunity to retreat back to his room before the girl would see and smiled to himself at the irony he felt when he walked through the hallway.

Bella was this pure, innocent young woman and he was nothing more than a monster thirsting for her blood. She was right to fear him.

 _Why wouldn't she? I'm a monster._

After listening to Bella's heart beating back to normal Edward paced in his room. Feeling an overwhelming sense of restlessness and frustration, Edward gave up trying to distract himself and went downstairs to the music room. He walked into the large darkened room where the grand piano was in the middle near the large window. He began playing to help him relax his mind, to shut out his family's overbearing thoughts of Bella and lose himself in the music he loved. He played when he suddenly heard a hauntingly beautiful melody in the back of his mind. One that he had never heard before however, it made him feel a feeling he hadn't experienced so he played all throughout the night in hopes of understanding what the human girl was making him feel. For one thing was for certain—being able to control the monster within him would be much more difficult than he could have anticipated.

 **Authors note:**

 **Poor Edward has it so tough haha. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please feel free to leave a review to let me know how I'm doing! I truly appreciate it! See you all next week! I will most likely update every Saturday or Sunday! ~Rose~**


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